Their Story
by AspiringAuthor23
Summary: The girl with purple hair looked over, once again, to the Gryffindor table. More specifically, at a light-haired seventh year Marauder. The story of Lupin and Tonks. R&R
1. Breakfast At Hogwarts

**A/N: Yet another of my favorite pairings. And I know Tonks went to Hogwarts in 1984 and Lupin went in 1971. But, for the purposes of my story, they had to be both in Hogwarts at the same time, while also both being the age of dating, because it'd be odd to have an 11 year old crushing on a 17 year old. Other than that, 'tis cannon. Anyway, so like usual, J.K. owns Harry Potter. I do not. Enjoy!**

The girl with purple hair looked over, once again, to the Gryffindor table. More specifically, at a light-haired seventh year Marauder. Like every other time she had glanced across the hall, he was talking to Potter, Black, and Pettigrew, oblivious to the stare of one who had spoken to him only five times before.

She sighed, remembering the obvious. He'd never talk to a fourth year Hufflepuff—he probably had a seventh year girlfriend anyway. Her thoughts turning to the other boys he hung out with, she tilted her head on her hand, wondering how many other people watched the Marauders closely. How many of those noticed the Marauders sneaking out of the castle every month? If she had learned to time it correctly, they would be sneaking out tonight. From careful observation, she had come to the conclusion that they left every full moon. She was sure that her guess on why was correct, but she couldn't figure out which of them was the werewolf.

"Hello? Tonks?" her friend Ally was waving her hand in front of Tonks' face. "You're spacing out again. What is it with that area of the Hall? You always look at that one group of boys…" A look of realization made its way onto her face. "You like one of them, don't you?" Tonks had once again glanced over to the table, and was continuing her staring. At this question, she looked back at Ally, grinning.

"Maybe."

Ally grinned back. "Okay, who is it?"

Looking as if she was wondering whether to confide in her friend, Tonks suddenly looked serious, frowning at her friend. "Do you think Remus would ever talk to me?"  
>Ally thought for a moment, considering. "He's a seventh year; you're only a fourth year. If I'm going to be honest, the only thing you have going for you is that you can change your hair to outrageous colours to attract him." Ally was also frowning, only partly joking about Tonks' hair.<p>

Tonks shrugged. "I guess…" She turned back to her dinner, pushing around the food. "You know, I'm not really hungry anyway. You want to go?"  
>Ally nodded her assent, and they left the Great Hall.<p>

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. I will update soon, and it'll be longer, I promise. In the meantime, R&R please!**


	2. Nighttime Investigation

**A/N: So hey guys, this is going to be kind of a long author's note, so skip it if you don't want to hear me talk….or listen to me type…or whatever. Anyway, so last night, when I posted the first chapter, I honestly had no idea where this story was going. I thought I'd do a scene in her 7****th**** year and then in Harry's time. But, never fear. Because today I planned it all out, and its going to be in this time period for quite a while. Also, on my last chapter, I lied. I'm sorry. This is not cannon at all. Basically the only things I'm keeping are the fact that they get married, have Teddy, that she's a Hufflepuff Metamorphagus, and he's a Gryffindor Marauder Werewolf. Not that I'd have any other cannon to go off of. In addition, my chapters **_**are**_** kind of short. But that means you will get more chapters. I promise I won't do a crappy job because I've given myself permission to have short-ish chapters. In addition, I know that it takes a long time to become an Animagus. For the purposes of the story, however, it had to be less than a year. As I'm typing this, I don't know if this'll come in in later chapters or this chapter, but I just want to say it because, being the obsessive fan I am, I would most likely notice changes like this. I don't even know if you guys care. But just in case you do, I'm pointing out that I know it's not right. Finally, as I read on another Fanfiction, it is J.K.'s world, I just live in it. Enjoy!**

As they did every day, the intensity of classes wiped all other thoughts from Tonks' mind. She had no time to dwell on the conversation of that morning, practicing potions, charms, and transfigurations until she felt as if her brain would melt. As they were fourth years, one year away from their O.W.L.'s, the teachers gave them much more homework than in previous years, so that at 10:30 P.M., Tonks had still not finished her essays from the day.

Sitting on the plush yellow and black chairs near the dorm entrance, Tonks' mind was far away from the charms homework she had been assigned, keeping her from concentrating—now that the day had concluded, nothing, not even her homework, was keeping her from dwelling on the Marauders and their mysterious disappearances every month. She had to know which one of them it was.

Racking her mind for evidence about each of the Marauders was difficult enough without the distraction of homework. But if she stopped working, questions would be asked about her daydreams. Even as she worked, questions kept floating persistently to the front of her mind. Sighing, she realized that the only way she could allow her thoughts to roam freely was if she left the common room. She could always do that charms essay tomorrow.

"I'm gonna go to the library," she said, standing up and knocking her books and half of Ally's homework off the table. Grinning at her characteristic clumsiness, she bent down to help pick up, and once everything was back in the proper order, she exited the Common Room.

Obviously, she never intended to go to the library, but she couldn't tell Ally that she was about to wander the castle at midnight with a large possibility of being caught by a professor or being cornered by Peeves. She didn't even have a real idea of where she was headed. But as she turned to the right at the end of the Hufflepuff corridor, something clicked in her mind.

_Tonight was the full moon. They were going to sneak out of the castle tonight._

Immediately, she redirected her footsteps to take her to the Great Hall. She grinned to herself as she imagined Ally's reaction—she was about to follow a bunch of seventh years' example, perfectly fine with the fact that she may end up leaving the castle. But this was her only chance to find out what they were always up to.

She couldn't tell Ally of her suspicions or let Ally know that one of their peers was a werewolf.

Her mind beginning to wander, she thought through the Marauders. James seemed to always be on top of everything. She could always expect to see him with Lily or the Marauders. But he never seemed to be under-the-weather or in such a state that he was tired. Sirius was the same way—he was always up to doing anything at any time. Remus and Peter were most likely to be the one. Both were quieter, and seemed to tag along with the others because of a rare coming approval. Neither seemed to be very confident of themselves. And for some reason, these facts seemed to point to the fact that one of them was the werewolf. But she couldn't know for sure. In fact, she half expected herself to be wrong—she half thought that it would be Sirius or James.

Subconsciously, she was grateful that her parents had never been ones to lecture her on the impurity of half-breeds such as werewolves, although she knew that it was mostly because her mother didn't possess the same prejudice that most of her family did.

No, it was due to this prejudice that she couldn't let Ally know that one of their peers was a werewolf. Or that there was a large possibility of him being the very boy Tonks had been staring at earlier that day.

Her mind coming back to what she was doing, she thought through how wandering through the corridors at night wasn't usually a problem with Hufflepuffs. In fact, she was probably one of the first that had done it in years. But she had to know.

As she walked stealthily through the hallways, her clumsy nature, for once, disappeared. Halfway to the Entrance Hall, however, a small smacking sound reached her ears. Twisting her head immediately to the right, her eyes wide, an empty hallway met her eyes. Checking the other side of the hallway, she once again saw nothing. However, the smacking continued to approach, so, her heart pounding, she quickly devised a plan of escape. Silently, she changed her hair and skin color to match the shadows on either side of her, hoping beyond hope that she could camouflage herself well enough to not be seen. Holding her breath, she saw small specks flying ever closer to her hiding place. But as they came within ten feet of her, she realized it was only Peeves, bouncing erasers off the wall. Luckily, none of them hit her, and she was able to sink to the floor as Peeves passed. After about a minute, during which she was forced to breathe again, she returned to her normal colors, and continued her way down the hall.

Finally, she came to the Great Hall, tiptoeing across the back of the room until she could hear what was going on in the Entrance Hall, but not be seen. Laying the side of her head flat against the door, she could hear the voices of the Marauders, whispering as they exited the school. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but she could tell that they were excited for something. Hearing the door to the school slam shut, she entered the large Hall.

After checking that there were no teachers or ghosts coming, she began making her way lightly to the door, ramming her hip into a table and causing a vase to crash to the floor. Stopping, her heart racing once again, and holding her breath, she waited as if she sensed the presence of a lion, about to pounce. However, nothing popped out of the shadows, and after about ten seconds, she unfroze. Luckily, she had her wand with her.

"Reparo," she whispered, fixing the vase and then setting it back on the table.

Once again, as a precaution, she retired to the Great Hall, just in case a professor had heard the noise. After about thirty seconds however, she decided that even though a Professor could still be on their way, she wasn't going to see anything if she hid for much longer. After padding to the doorway of the Entrance Hall, she pushed the large door open. It was one of those times when everything seems louder at night. The creak of the door, she thought, was enough to wake up the entire castle_._ She froze once again, but nobody came, and she turned to look out of the doorway.

The light of the full moon flitted across the Hogwarts landscape, creating silhouettes out of the forest, Hagrid's Hut, the Whomping Willow, and four student-shaped figures that appeared only once a month. She was about to follow them, but thought better of it; if they were caught, she didn't want to get in trouble too. Therefore, she continued standing in the door, a silent observer. As they neared the Willow, one of the students disappeared. Tonks still watched, eyebrows knitted, waiting to see the Marauder reappear, as the Willow stopped flinging its branches through the air. At this point, Tonks was completely dumbfounded. But then something else happened that confounded her even more. Two of the remaining students' silhouettes morphed to that of a stag and a dog. The final silhouette was still human, but it was growing rigid, and the student's back was curved unnaturally.

Tonks felt her heart racing for the third time that night. She had known it, even though she still didn't know which one of them it was. But, at least the night wasn't a complete waste. As she continued watching, the three remaining figures disappeared into the trunk of the Willow, as if the tree had eaten them alive. She stared for about five minutes more, waiting for them to reappear, but, remembering that there was a werewolf in there, she realized that it wouldn't happen until morning, and by then, she would have no chance of catching them.

She sighed, realizing that if she wanted to follow them, she would have to create a plan—she couldn't just follow a werewolf on a whim, no matter how un-prejudiced her family was—they were dangerous. Straining her memory for any mention of a way to do so, she zoned out, forgetting where she was. Replaying the events of the past few minutes in her mind, she realized that the two Marauders who belonged to the Stag and Dog silhouettes were Animagi. _Is there any way better then the original? _She didn't know where the third had gone. Unless he had a small Animagus form, she guessed he owned an invisibility cloak.

She was about to turn back to return to the dorms when a hand was laid on her shoulder. It was McGonnagal. "Miss Tonks, what are you doing out of bed? Ten points from Hufflepuff and a detention. You are not to be out of your dorms at this time. Return to the Common Room immediately."  
>Tonks knew it was best not to argue, and was escorted back to the Common Room, where she thought over her observations and realizations of the night for several hours. Before falling into a sleep plagued by dreams of Animagi and Werewolves, she formed one final thought, her only way of discovering what had happened to the fourth Marauder, and, more importantly, which of her peers was a werewolf: <em>I must become an Animagus.<em>

**A/N: I was going to have Snape find her…but then I realized that he was at school at that time. I'll fit him into this story at some point, even if for a few lines. Anyway, Epic and ****Tiara d' Cullen****, thank you for reviewing! **

**Hope everyone liked it! Right now I really feel like writing, so this weekend I might get a chapter or two, or possibly three up. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to R&R!**

**UPDATED: I'm much more happy with this chapter than I was when I first wrote it, as I've revised it heavily. So again, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Making Progress

**A/N: Okay, guys, so I've decided to give you the Marauders/Lupin/Tonks earlier than I was going to. Therefore, this chapter will be about three scenes long. Then (including this one) it'll only be one or two more chapters before they come in more often. You will get your Marauders! And a short Author's Note for once… This is J.K.'s world. I don't own it though I wish I did.**

The next morning, despite her newly acquired detention, Tonks was back to her normal self—laughing and chatting with her friends, specifically Ally, as if she had never looked to the Gryffindor table before.

Ally stared at her like she was going crazy. "Tonks, what's your problem? Yesterday you were sulking and today you're on a sugar rush. Plus, you didn't get back from the library until almost midnight last night. What's up?"

Tonks grinned and shrugged. "Do you really think I should sulk every day because there's a guy? I mean, maybe one day a year…" She trailed off, trying to do some quick thinking in order to come up with a believable story for her mysterious absence the night before. Refusing to meet Ally's eyes, she lied. "I was looking up stuff for homework. Didn't the potions and charms combined take you until midnight? I didn't even think I did as good of a job as I should have."

Hoping it sounded believable, she looked back up at Ally. She was a terrible liar, and as Ally was her best friend, she was sure that she'd be caught.  
>However, Ally only shook her head, giving Tonks a slight smirk. "You're such a perfectionist. No, I finished mine about ten minutes after you left," She shrugged. "Well, at least we got it done."<p>

Inwardly sighing with relief, Tonks grinned back, and they continued eating before going to their first class of the day.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A few days later, while most of the students of Hogwarts were out on the grounds, enjoying a cool autumn day, Tonks was in the library. The night she had followed the Marauders, she had realized what she must do in order to both find a way to spend time with Remus, and to find out which of the Marauders was the werewolf. For this, she was incredibly excited—she had originally had no idea how quickly she would be able to puzzle something out.

However, from the things she had learned in class, she knew that learning this type of magic was incredibly difficult and took a long period of time. Time, she decided, she did not have the patience to waste. Therefore, she was spending all her free time trying to learn everything she needed in order to transform into an animal. More specifically, how to become an Animagus.

She sighed, flipping another book shut. After two hours, she still couldn't find anything that told her how to _become_ an Animagus. There were books detailing important Animagi in history, and what Animagi were, but nothing explaining how to become one yourself. She stood up, grabbing her books, and turned back to the shelves to look for more. After returning the unhelpful books to their proper places, she went down a "special magic" aisle, crouching to see the titles at the very bottom of the stacks.

((**A/N: And here's something to tide you guys over for another chapter or two. Because I feel nice today.))**

"Looking for something?"  
>At the sudden noise, she jumped, immediately feeling embarrassed for doing so. After steadying herself on the floor once again, she tilted her head to the side, looking to the floor on her left for a clue as to who the voice belonged to. A pair of red and white pair of sneakers stood there, attached to legs covered in loose, but fitting jeans.<p>

Tilting her head up, she saw the face of a familiar seventh year smiling at her. She stood up, brushing off her own jeans and smiling back. Ally must have done something to convince him to talk to her. Unless he liked her too. Inwardly, she shook her head. That wasn't happening—he had never so much as looked at her, other than the few times they had spoken. She concluded that he was just a nice person, trying to help a lost-looking fourth year.

"H-hey Remus. I'm trying to find a book on Animagi…" She paused, wondering if she could convince him to help her. "It's for an extra assignment. We have to explain how someone can…become one?" She hoped she sounded convincing; it was her second possibly major lie in a few days, and she doubted that she would be believed twice.  
>He nodded, looking suspicious, but he didn't mention his distrust. "They're probably in the Restricted Section." In fact, he knew the books were in the Restricted Section. He had seen his best friends become Animagi two years previously. He knew where to get the information, and even how to change—all the steps and incantations, even though it was impossible for him to ever change. "I'll be right back."<br>He made his way across the library, knowing that since he was a seventh year prefect, and since he needed access to the Restricted Section so often, he didn't always need a signed note. Entering the section, he rubbed his finger along the spines until he found the three books he was looking for. Inside were step-by-step instructions on how to become an Animagus, the risks included, and any other information she may need. Grabbing them, he exited the section once again, returning to the aisle where Tonks was still standing, waiting for him to return. With a small smile, he held out the books to her.

"Be careful. Could be dangerous."

She smiled back, laying her hand on the books, but refraining from pulling them away. "Thanks, but it's just…just for a paper."

After a slight moment's hesitation, in which she stared into his blue eyes, wavering between asking him outright whether he was a werewolf or not, she took the books, busying herself by straightening them, trying to hide the slight blush that had made its way onto her face. Suddenly feeling awkward, she thanked him and walked out of the aisle, looking back over her shoulder and giving a small wave as she turned to the right into another isle leading to the entrance of the library. With a small smile on his face, he waved back.

As she approached the door, she sighed. She hated lying. But she had to so she wouldn't get in trouble for becoming an illegal Animagus. She had gotten the idea that Remus hadn't believed her story about a paper, and she didn't know whether he would confide in any teachers. Deep down, she believed he wouldn't do something like that. But she still worried. And then there was the fact that she had just made an idiot of herself. Looking back on it, she mentally slapped herself for even considering asking him about being a werewolf. But she had more pressing matters to deal with—like the fact that she would have to be extremely careful and secretive regarding her current aspirations.

However, now that she had the books, she would only have to take the steps alone and remember to keep the books out of prying eyes, and she was in the clear as long as Remus refrained from acting on his obvious suspicions.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

About three months passed, in which Tonks spent most of her time researching Animagi and werewolves. It seemed that Remus had not confided in a teacher—in any case, she had not been questioned about what she was doing all those days in the library and Common Room when the rest of the school was out on the grounds or hanging out with friends.

It was January. Shivering, Tonks wrapped her robes more tightly around herself as she made her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. As was normal during winter, the castle, especially the corridors, was extremely cold. There was a significantly smaller amount of talking friends blocking the hallways—less conversation occurred between classes in times like these. The students were usually eager to get to their next classes, which were warmer, as most of the classrooms had fireplaces.

Entering the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Tonks noticed that notes for the upcoming class were already written on the blackboard. Today they would be learning about Werewolves.

After she set down her books and sat down, beginning to copy the notes, the professor entered the room. "Turn to page Three Hundred and Ninety Four."

Grinning, Tonks grabbed her book, opening it to the page she had studied for hours over the previous four months. She knew that at one point that year she would find out which of her fellow students was one, so she had studied as much as she could, even checking out extra books in the library in order to find facts that their textbook had skipped over.

"Can anyone tell me," the professor stared pointedly at Severus Snape, the student who was on top in both Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts. He seemed to always know the answers to the teacher's questions. "three ways one can tell the difference between a 'real' wolf, and a werewolf?"  
>For once, Tonks' hand was in the air before Snape's. Somewhat surprised, the professor called on her. "Professor, one can tell the difference because of the pupils of the eyes, the tufted tail, and the shape of the snout."<p>

"Very good…ten points to Hufflepuff."

This continued throughout the class period. For once, Tonks knew the answer to every question the Professor asked, and by the end of the class, she had earned over seventy points for Hufflepuff.

She was doing her research. She also knew that she was maybe one month away from being able to follow the Marauders; she was making great progress on her goal to become an Animagus, and was, according to the books Lupin had helped her find, extremely close to finally changing.

**A/N: Okay, I also know that Snape's in seventh year. But it was either change him or change Lupin to fourth year. And there was no way I was changing Lupin; I had already switched Tonks' age enough. So you got a younger Snape. I just wanted to show that she was, as Dumbledore said in SS "doing the thing correctly."**

**The review thing is being stupid…I can only see the reviews for the first chapter. However, I got the emails, so thanks Ithilwen and Epic for reviewing the second chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! I hope to get up another chapter or two up this weekend. R&R in the meantime please~**

**UPDATED: Not much on this chapter had to be revised. Just a couple paragraphs changed, a few sentences changed. Hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Transformation

**A/N:** **Oh my Gryffindor, a nonexistent author's note? World is J.K.'s, not mine.**

It was February. After five months of practice and careful study, Tonks could no longer put off her eventual transformation. No matter what, she couldn't give up now—she had spent too much time working on becoming an Animagus to throw it away. However, she was still as excited for her transformation as she had been on day one. There was nothing left to do—she knew that today was the day to finally try her transformation. She had studied and taken as many precautions as possible; in another month, she would be just as ready as she was today.

If her transformation went awry, she could be hurt, caught, or suffer a side-effect that was even worse; some inexperienced wizards and witches had become half-human, half-animal during their transformations, and were taken to St. Mungo's. She had no idea how she would explain it if she ran into a problem such as this—she doubted the Healers would appreciate the fact that a fourteen year old was attempting to become an Animagus. However, she had done all she could to ensure that her transformation would go smoothly, and according to the books Remus had given her, she was as ready as she could ever be.

After all of the other Hufflepuffs had retired to their dorms—she could tell from the sudden silence in the Common Room—she slipped out from under her black and yellow covers, quietly padding downstairs to the Common Room and out into the corridors of Hogwarts. She had previously decided that she would try her transformation in a room she had been told about by her mother: the Room of Requirement. As she silently made her way up several stories of stairs, pausing now and then to make sure she wouldn't be caught, she went through the steps once again in her head.

Her mind wandering to the Marauders, she wondered, as she had many times that year, why Remus had given her the books—he was a Prefect, and as he seemed to see through her lie, she wondered why he hadn't gone to a teacher with the information that she was trying to become an Animagus. She realized that he didn't have any concrete proof, and he seemed too kind to give someone up like that, but in her mind, a Prefect would tell a teacher of their suspicions no matter what the repercussions would be.

She turned a corner, and her mind came back to the fact that she was walking through the corridors. Focusing on her destination and what she would be attempting that night as she turned another corner and walked up a flight of stairs, she realized that if she was caught, it would be the second detention she had gained that year due to nighttime wanderings. But she also knew that this could be her only chance to try her transformation.

She continued making her way up the stairs, searching for the stretch of wall her mum had told her lay on the seventh floor—the Room that changed its internal appearance depending on the user's needs. Finally, she found it; she turned and started walking back and forth.

_I need somewhere where I can change without anyone finding or hearing me. _

Three times she walked past the stretch of wall, repeating the plea over and over. Three times was what her mother had said. After this was completed, she halted, facing the door.

For a few seconds, she didn't think it had worked, and she wondered whether she had gotten the wall or number of paces wrong.

Then the wall started shimmering and a door appeared.

Checking the hallway on either side to make sure that nobody was coming, she opened the door and slipped inside.

The Room had given her exactly what she had asked for her—nothing more. She looked around, taking in her simple, but greatly needed, surroundings. She was in a small room, maybe the size of a bedroom. The walls were all a dark shade of grey, and there was no furniture or decorations in it, other than a somewhat soft grey carpet beneath her feet. The room was brightly lit, even though there were no obvious sources—there were no windows or lighting fixtures in the square room; the light seemed to be magicked there.

Still cautious from her way up, Tonks looked around, as if a professor, Filch, or Peeves could be hidden in any non-existent shadow in the room. Content that she was the only one there, she slowly shut the door, finally relaxing and allowing herself to take one of the small books out of her pocket, turning to page one hundred thirty two.

Folding the book back so it would stay on the correct page, she bent, setting the book on the floor so that she could read it with her hands free, and grabbed her wand, standing straight again. Once again, the instructions she had reviewed over and over scrolled through her mind like the credits on a Muggle movie. Truly, the only reason she had brought the book was to comfort herself—she knew the steps like the back of her hand, but she felt much more at peace now that she had concrete proof in front of her that confirmed what her memory told her as correct.

Ten minutes later, only one step remained, repeating itself in her memory as if a lifeline. The process was extremely complex, and this final step was the most complex of all the ones detailed in the books. She was taking her time so that the transformation would not go wrong—as long as the other girls in her dorm didn't realize she was missing, she believed that she could escape tonight without getting caught, and with a newly discovered Animagus form. Once again, the final step repeated itself in her mind, distracting her from all other worries and thoughts.

Pointing her wand to herself, she said the incantation that finalized all the other steps she had taken, and would transform her immediately if done correctly—the step of no return. However, this was also the step that could cause horrible side-effects, and must be done with the utmost carefulness and concentration.

Although she had said the spell, the books had said that it would take about a minute to take effect. Her heart racing, she tore her mind away from possible side-effects, crouching and laying her wand next to the book. She figured that if she was to change, she wouldn't want her wand to be stepped on or lost. It had taken all of her strength to do this, however—she was growing stiff with anticipation, and had to resist the temptation to stand there, unmoving like a statue.

The minute was almost up, and as the seconds ticked slowly by, she became more and more aware of every molecule in her body. She was hyperaware of every hair on her head, every atom of every nail on her fingers, anticipating the hopefully inevitable change.

A comforting warmth began spreading throughout her body. Her intense awareness washed away immediately, leaving her feeling a simple calm, the calm that comes when one has just woken up and feels as if they want to stay in their blankets forever. As she registered this change, another new feeling came into play. She felt as if she had been cramped in one skin for too long, that she had to stretch her limbs and run as soon as possible because of the stiffness of her joints. But when she tried to move, she couldn't. Feeling as if she was glued to the floor, she still felt deadly calm, but her mind was racing with unanswered questions, worry beginning to creep into the crevices of her brain as her bones began to remold themselves. It was as if a long-bared handicap was being removed; she was being born again. As if her skin was a blanket, she was shaking out of it, coming into a new, more comfortable form of existence. Her mind finally realizing that she was shifting, she assessed what was happening, coming to the conclusion that what was happening to her was much more comfortable than she had heard Werewolf transformations were. That was a curse. This felt as if it was meant to be.

She felt her shifting bones halt—they were once again all in place, much more agile than they had been two minutes previously. She looked down, noting that she still had her presence of mind, unlike what happened to werewolves. Bluish-grey paws held her up, attached to legs of the same color, covered in short hairs. She had succeeded in transforming, she knew that much. Turning in a circle, she must have looked like a dog chasing her tail, because after examining her back legs, back, and tail, she realized that she had transformed into a wolf.

At that moment, she didn't make the connection, but maybe her Animagus transformation told her all she needed to know about which of the Marauders was the werewolf.

**A/N: Next chapter you'll finally get some Remus and Tonks! Thanks for reviewing again, Epic, and I hope you enjoyed it! Same with everyone else, hope you liked it! I should get at least one more chapter up this weekend. R&R **

**UPDATED: I revised this chapter **_**very**_** heavily—I almost rewrote the entire thing. This version is a much better representation of my thoughts than the first edition, and I like it quite a bit. So I hope you enjoy!**


	5. Finally Learning

**A/N: Again, not mine. All the stuff in here belongs to J.K. Rowling. : )**

A few nights after Tonks succeeded in her transformation came the full moon. Knowing that she would have to be extremely careful so as not to be caught, she waited until about ten o' clock at night to slide out of bed. In the Hufflepuff dorms, most of the students were usually in bed by ten; they didn't feel the need to stay up as late as, for example, Gryffindors. Once the rest of the girls in her dorm had been in bed long enough to fall asleep or not care about noises in the dorm anymore, Tonks slipped out of bed, silently got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, and started making her way downstairs.

By this time, she was getting used to exploring the castle at night, knowing which corridors Peeves usually caused disarray in. However, once she got to the Great Hall, the reflection of the moon on a left over piece of silverware caught her eye, distracting her, and she ran into a table, making the end of it slide across the floor. She froze, camouflaging her skin and hair and shrinking into the shadows once more.

Sure enough, Mrs. Norris appeared within seconds, looking around the Hall with lamp-like eyes. For once, she didn't see the student she was looking for, although Filch appeared after another minute, looking around as if it was Christmas, and he was forced to search for his presents. The quiet whispers she had heard coming from the Entrance Hall stopped, and she was sure that the Marauders were already out of bed, and had heard the caretaker. Tonks tried to shrink away even more, but she was already cornered. Several tense minutes passed, feeling like an hour to Tonks, but Filch left without finding her.

Sighing, she waited another minute before entering the Entrance Hall and taking up her post from a few months before. She watched again the shadow puppet show of her peers, and saw them disappear into the tree trunk. Checking behind her to make sure she was still alone, she exited the castle and felt again the sensation of crawling into a new skin.

Sprinting across the grounds, her paws flying beneath her, Tonks somehow knew that she had limited time to get to the tree. It might have been her heightened senses; she was more aware of what movement was going to ripple through the trees, and where every bug was going to move. As she approached the Willow, the branches began creaking and shaking, causing leaves to shower onto the ground. Putting on an extra burst of speed, she entered the hole in the trunk, just as the first branch began pummeling the ground.

She found herself in a dirt tunnel; having an idea of where it would lead, she continued running for several more minutes. She finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel, and poked her head into the house above her a little too loudly; as she looked into the house, the other Animagi whipped their heads around curiously. Peter was there too; he must have been the one that had seemingly disappeared last time. Since he was a rat, it made sense she couldn't see him once he changed forms.

She put her paws on the floor of the Shack, trying to pull her self up while giving herself a boost from her back legs. Once she was steady on all fours in the Shack, she began looking around to locate the missing Marauder. She caught his eye, realizing he was the only one who wasn't in Animagus form. A split second later, his body jerked, forcing him falling to fall onto all fours. He let out a yelp, and transformed.

Suddenly she understood why her Animagus form was a wolf.

**A/N: Ugh, I always think "This chapter is actually going to be long" but then it never is. **

**Since I updated before you reviewed, thanks for reviewing both chapter three and four, Ithilwen, and thanks for reviewing chapter four, Epic and Tiara d' Cullen. Hope you all liked it! Honestly, all of your reviews make my day. This is probably my last chapter for the weekend, and I can't update until next Saturday because I'm going to camp…But then I'll update just as often as I am right now. Bye! R&R~**


	6. Night in the Shack

**A/N: Eh, what the heck. I felt like doing one last chapter before I left, so here you go. Not mine, belongs to J.K. Rowling, blah blah blah. **

The Animagi Marauders continued staring at Tonks throughout Lupin's transformation. Thankfully, Remus had taken Wolfsbane, so none of them had to be very alert; they had come only to keep him company and take him on their monthly adventures throughout the grounds. However, it was painfully obvious to everyone there that no adventures would be had that night. After glancing at both each other and Remus, Prongs and Padfoot, as well as they could in Animagus form, gestured to Tonks to follow them. Leading her up the stairs, they entered a run-down bedroom that would in later years become the stage for Remus and Sirius to tell their story to three third years.

Nudging the door shut, as Remus was unable to speak and they seemed to think Pettigrew wasn't worthy of participating in the conversation, they turned back to her, staring intently. After a few seconds, they changed back into their human forms simultaneously, and taking the cue from them, Tonks did too.

James had an odd expression on his face, not anger, but a mix of wonder, excitement, and worry. He didn't want the fact of three illegal Animagus' and a werewolf to be leaked. "Who are you?" was his first question. "I mean, I've seen you, but never actually….talked."

She wasn't sure how she should feel—worried that they would get angry at her, relief because they didn't seem mad, or…what. "I-I'm Tonks. Hufflepuff fourth year."

Sirius nodded slowly. "He—Remus—mentioned you a few times. Said he helped you find books on how to become an Animagus. He knew there was never an assignment on it like you said; he was wondering why you wanted to turn…"

"And now we know…" said James "Kind of."  
>Tonks looked at them, wondering why they acted as if this wasn't out of the ordinary at all—two best friends trying to figure out why a girl followed them in Animagus form when nobody was supposed to catch them.<p>

"I've noticed you left during full moon. I wanted to figure out which of you was the werewolf. Guess I know now."

James and Sirius shrugged. Good enough for them.  
>They returned downstairs, ready to spend the rest of the night in their Animagus forms.<p>

By morning, all five of them were ready to return to their human forms, no matter how comfortable it was being an animal. Soon enough, sunlight peeked into the Shack, and Remus returned to his normal form, laying on the ground and catching his breath before getting to his feet. Immediately, the Marauders took on their human forms; a well oiled machine. Tonks followed suit.

All of them stretching, they began making their way towards the exit, where they would try to sneak back into the castle before students began waking up in order to keep Remus' condition a secret. But right before Tonks climbed back into the hole in the floor, Remus called to his friends.

"Go on guys, I'll be there in a minute," he lowered his voice back to normal, giving a shy smile to Tonks "Tonks, could I talk to you for a minute?"  
>She nodded.<p>

**A/N: Haha, I feel that to be an adequate place to leave you for a week. Partly because I'm feeling kind of mean. Gigi, Epic, and Tiara d' Cullen, thanks for reviewing chapter five! For real this time, I am leaving you. No more surprise chapters tomorrow morning. R&R and I will post on Saturday!**


	7. Almost

**A/N: I was reading the reviews, and I didn't even realize that Sirius **_**would**_** know Tonks, so thanks for pointing that out! I think I'm going to keep it though, because it won't make much of a difference anymore. Oh, and I'm sorry if it's kind of rocky…returning to this after a week is kind of weird. And I'm sorry I couldn't get this up yesterday…I started it yesterday, but I went to bed before I could finish it. So this is J.K. Rowling's, not mine, and I hope you enjoy! **

_"Go on guys, I'll be there in a minute," he lowered his voice back to normal, giving a shy smile to Tonks "Tonks, could I talk to you for a minute?"  
>She nodded.<em>

Gesturing for her to follow him, Remus softly walked to the couch that was damaged from years of transformations. Smiling slightly to herself, Tonks followed him, sitting on another couch, one that faced Lupin's. He shook his head at this, patting the couch seat next to him. "I won't bite." He gave her a small grin, acknowledging the irony of the statement. Smiling back at him, Tonks stood back up, walking across the room and sitting next to Remus.

He turned to her. "So I was right," he grinned at her. "You are a very bad liar, you know."  
>She gave a small laugh "I know…I just wanted to see if you'd help me. I knew it was one of you. B-But I wasn't sure who."<p>

He frowned. "How do you not care? Most of them," he nodded towards the direction they knew the school lay in. "would stay as far away from me as possible. There's a lot of prejudice towards people like me."

She grimaced; she hated it when others were judged for something they were, especially someone like Lupin. "I just think you seem…you seem really nice. I don't think that just because you're…like that, that you should be hated." She blushed.

A sad smile came across his face, making her think that he suspected more, and her blush reddened. "Thank you. I have only met the others, Dumbledore, and you. You know, ones that don't care." A conflicted look crossed his face, but he whispered, "You want to know something?"  
>She gave him a slow nod, wondering what he was about to tell her. Did he like her? Was he about to tell her?<p>

"Actually, you're not the only one that has found out. Snape found out. But he cared. He hates James and Sirius, but I think you know that. As an extension, he also hates me and Peter. When he found out, he wanted to tell everyone. But Dumbledore made him swear not to tell," He frowned. "Please don't let him know that you know too. I don't know what he'd do."  
>She nodded, a little disappointed that he hadn't told her anything that she was hoping for. "I won't."<br>His eyes flitted across her face, making her believe that he could tell she was disappointed about something, but he didn't mention this, and gave her a small smile. "Thank you." He put his fingers on her chin, making her look at him. "You really don't know how happy I am that you don't care and won't tell. Thank you." He stood up, almost grabbing her hand to pull her up, but looked as if he was awkward, and instead pushed his bangs out of his face and gestured for her to follow. Smiling sadly, she stood up, following him through the Shack and into the passageway.

"W-was this passage and the Willow already here?" She asked, believing she already knew the answer.  
>He shook his head. "No, it was built for my use before I came here first year. Dumbledore already knew. He's a great headmaster; any other wouldn't have let me come. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had Hogwarts or any of my friends."<br>She nodded, feeling that words were inadequate. They continued walking, and as they approached the exit of the tunnel, where the other Marauders were waiting, Remus stopped, and glancing back at him, so did Tonks. She watched him for a moment. He was staring at the floor, looking as if the was trying to make up his mind. Then he looked up slowly, staring into her eyes. "You're already an Animagus."  
>She gave a slow nod, confused about where his mind was going.<p>

"Do you want to join us coming to the Shack every month? I don't think the others would mind."  
>She felt a small flutter of hope. Maybe he did like her. She nodded. "I would love to do that."<br>He gave her a large smile. "Thank you. Again, you don't know how grateful I am for that."  
>And they joined the Marauders and returned to the school.<p>

**A/N: Epic, ThatSuperHotSexyBookWorm, sportygirl8, and Lindapig, thanks for reviewing chapter six! Hope you enjoyed! In the meantime before I post the next chapter, R&R!**


	8. Confession

**A/N: Not mine, belongs to J.K. Rowling, etc.**

For several months after Tonks' first night in the Shack, she succeeded in sneaking out with the Marauders every full moon, helping to keep Remus company, and growing ever closer to the three of them. By the end of the school year, she felt as if she could tell any one of them anything, and they would do their best to help her. Having seventh years as friends also helped when she was struggling with her homework; they would always be willing to help her figure it out.

But the final full moon of the year was approaching; the final day where she could spend time with the Marauders without her motives being questioned by other Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. The final time she had a chance to be alone with Remus before he graduated and they never saw each other again…unless she told him how she felt.

Making her way to the Entrance Hall to meet the Marauders, Tonks felt her heart racing; she knew that this was her last time to join them for the remainder of her school years, for the rest of her life. She entered the Hall just as they were making their way downstairs, and, making sure she didn't run into any furniture, she met them at the bottom of the stairs. Remus gave her a shy and sad smile, telling her that he knew how she felt about it being the last time.

The group changed into their Animagus forms, except Lupin, and, for a final time, raced to the Whomping Willow. Pettigrew stopped its thrashing, and they once again entered the familiar tunnel. Coming into the Shack, they witnessed Lupin's transformation, and began the wait until morning.

As had become custom the next morning, three Marauders left, leaving Remus and Tonks alone to talk. Usually, this was because Tonks was closest friends with Remus, and felt the most comfortable talking to him. She often had troubles with friends or school that she wanted to only speak to him about. This day, she was thankful for the private conversation.

Sitting down on the couch, she turned to him; he was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, looking out a crack in the boarded windows. "Remus?"  
>He turned to her. "Tonks?"<br>She smiled, trying not to let on how nervous she was. "I-I wanted to tell you something. And I wanted to ask you something too."

He gave a small nod, a small smile on his face. "Yes?"  
>Knowing that he wouldn't change his opinion of her if she told him, she felt calmer than she had all night; she had imagined it going extremely wrong. But she knew that wouldn't happen.<p>

She gave a shy smile, ready to continue. "You know how I told you that I only became an Animagus to figure out which one of you was the werewolf?"  
>He nodded, allowing his expression to show that he had known there was an alternate reason ever since she had originally lied to him.<p>

"Well, I also did it partly to…to get to know you better. Because I liked you, and wanted to first, see if you liked me too, and second, become friends with you."  
>She took a breath, glancing at him. He stayed silent, listening to her, encouraging her to continue.<p>

"B-but after I spent so much time with you all, I realized I don't like you anymore. Like that. I mean…" She paused, trying to sort out what she wanted to say. She glanced at him again. He was still staying silent, listening intently, but had raised his eyebrows, asking her unspoken questions. She continued, taking a deep breath; she was nervous once again. "I realized I don't like you." She bit her lip, whispering. "I love you, Remus."

He stood up silently, crossing the room, enveloping her in his arms, and kissing the top of her head. Also whispering, he said, "I love you too, Tonks. But…" he stopped.

She looked up, her heart sinking. "But what?"

A million memories flashed through his mind; painful transformations, the discrimination he would face in years to come, the glares he received from Snape, the bite, the conversations with Dumbledore, the letters, the Willow, the Map, the tunnel, the final acceptance letter allowing him into Hogwarts. He couldn't. He couldn't let her into his world. He couldn't allow her to be looked at with the same hate that often looked at him. No matter how much he loved her, he couldn't let her be hated because she was with him.

It was impossible.

**A/N: So now it's your choice. After two or three more chapters, after the school age time is over, do you want me to continue the story starting at an Order meeting, or should I start a new story and continue this on there as a story that could be stand-alone or a continuation? Hopefully that made sense…but the majority of votes will win. So thanks for reviewing, Thesistersblack4998, Epic/Chicken Butt, Gabbi/ ., and marauderluverz! R&R!**

**PS. I was just re-reading the reviews, and I know that for the majority of time Tonks has pink hair, but it seems like the first time she met Harry in OOtP (in the book), she had purple hair, and that's what has stuck in my mind. **


	9. Impossible

**A/N: Not mine, belongs to Jo, etc.**

_She looked up, her heart sinking. "But what?"_

_It was impossible. _

"Remus?"  
>He came back to reality, realizing he had spaced out, thinking about what she would have to go through if he accepted her love. He sighed. "I can't, Tonks. I'm sorry."<br>She pulled away from him, looking hurt. "W-why?"  
>He frowned, hoping she realized how it was breaking his heart to tell her this. "Tonks, do you realize what would happen? I'm already hated by most of the populace. Because of what I am. We can't. You'd be hated too. I can't let that happen to you."<br>He could tell she was close to tears; she must have been planning this for a long time, and he was forced to reject her, no matter how much he wished to do just the opposite—welcome her into his life.

She closed her eyes, sighing, fighting back her emotions. "I don't care. I don't care how they'll look at me. I want to be with you."  
>He shook his head, and as a tear made its way over her cheek, he felt his own hot tears forming. "I can't let you."<br>And there, in the dim, dank interior of the Shrieking Shack, she stepped forward, kissing him lightly on the lips. She backed away after a few moments, staring at the floor. They were silent for several minutes, and then she sighed, looking up. "Come on," she said hollowly. "They'll be waiting for us."  
>He nodded, silent, and they made their way out of the Shack, into the tunnel, and out into the sunlight.<p>

The Marauders could tell that both of them had been crying. But they knew neither wanted to talk about it. So they stayed silent.

**A/N: This was **_**really**_** short. But it accomplished what I wanted it to accomplish. Thesistersblack4998, ChickenButt, Katie Riddle (Sorry it deleted your user on the last chapter), and ThatSuperHotSexyBookWorm, thanks for reviewing! **

**I'm going to end up doing one more chapter when Tonks is school age, then skip to an Order meeting, and start the "adult" portion of the story there. Hope you enjoy! R&R!**


	10. Graduation & Invitation

**A/N: Not mine. Belongs to Jo.**

It was spring. As Tonks put on her Hufflepuff robes over her clothes one last time, this time adding a graduation cap, she glanced toward her friend Ally, who had stayed by her side through all their Hogwarts years. A small grin on her face, she reflected over the last seven years, lingering the longest on her fourth year. There had been other guys since then. But none had lasted long; none could hold a candle to Remus.

The grass around them was flickering in the wind, the sun glaring. It was a perfect spring day. The perfect day to graduate. But Tonks couldn't help but think back to three years prior, to the day when she watched her four best friends graduate. That day was tear-filled, as today promised to be.

The professors were walking down the line, shepherding the seventh years into two lines, so that they could parade to the front and receive their diplomas. Tonks thought they should rethink the ceremony so that it would be more entertaining. Lines would get boring.

They began walking to the front of the ceremony, and Tonks continued thinking about fourth year. That graduation had been inside; it had been raining, which only added to her depressed feelings. After that year, Tonks had to find new friends—her closest had graduated, and even though she still had Ally, she felt like she had none.

She had found friends, but none were ever as close or as fun as the Marauders.

And she had found boys, but none were ever as close or as lovable as Remus.

As this thought occurred to her, Tonks frowned. She missed Remus. It had been hard, telling him how she felt and him feeling as if he couldn't let her in. She had healed a bit since then, knowing that he loved her, even if he felt that staying apart was for the best. She trusted his judgment, and after thinking about it, she realized it was his choice; he was the one that suffered from the condition. He was most likely correct about what would happen to her if he let her into his life. But that didn't mean she would abandon him or love him any less.

It was surely impossible now.

He had graduated, and even though he had stated he was going to become an Auror, she had no idea if he had truly pursued the career. He never stated it in his letters. He never stated much in his letters. They were too easily intercepted nowadays. Voldemort was still on the rise, and not many people could be trusted. At least he stayed in touch.

She doubted they would ever see each other face-to-face though…even if she did become an Auror like she aspired, she had heard that Aurors met only once a month or in the hallways of the Ministry.

She still wanted to be with him. But she realized it couldn't happen.

She was almost to the front of the line, approaching the time when she would leave Hogwarts forever. Memories began flooding her mind; mostly trips to the Shrieking Shack and other flashes of fourth year. The other years started joining, and she was almost in tears by the time she reached Dumbledore and received her diploma.

And suddenly she was just another Hogwarts graduate, entering a new chapter of her life.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

The letter came about two weeks after she graduated. Wondering why she once again had recieved a letter with the Hogwarts seal on it, she opened it.

_Dear Miss Nymphadora Tonks, _

She cringed at the use of her first name.

_I, Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, wish to invite you into a secret Order. Only those who are dedicated to stopping Voldemort's rise have been invited. I have hand-picked new graduates for the past five years, and we have amassed over twenty members. If you, Nymphadora Tonks, wish to join this Order, you must travel to Hogwarts and join a meeting in my office on August 5__th__ at 7:30 PM. It is to be a meeting for the newest recruits. _

_Albus Dumbledore_

August fifth was only two months away.

**A/N: So it was more of a transition chapter than I originally planned. And less Lupin than I would have liked. But he's back in the next chapter, so it's all good. Thesistersblack4998, thanks for reviewing chapter 9, and I hope you all enjoyed! R&R!**


	11. The Meeting

**A/N: So here comes Part 2. Belongs to J.K. Not me. I think I'm going to end up taking Thesistersblack4998's idea and have two parts to each chapter—one of Tonks and one of Lupin. They will be listed under only one chapter though. If I don't end up doing that, I'll just try to include both of them more often than I have. So enjoy!**

She saw him at an Order meeting. He was sitting in the kitchen of the Order's headquarters, leaning forward slightly, listening intently to Dumbledore.

She had been asked to finish her Auror training before attending any meetings; only those that attended full meetings could be given main assignments. Sure, she had been given several small projects. Nothing that would change anything if she failed. It had taken a year, but she succeeded, finally finishing school.

She had finally been able to come to a meeting, and the moment she stepped into the room, she noticed him. He didn't even glance her way as she sat down on the other side of the table, in the only open seat. She tried to pay attention to what Dumbledore was saying, but she couldn't help but study him closely. It had only been four years since had graduated, but he looked more aged than that. He had several new scars on his face, showing a few more times he had forgotten to, or had been unable to, take Wolfsbane. Despite a tired countenance, he still had a joyful look in his eye, most likely kept strong due to the fact that he still spent most of his time with the other Marauders.

She wondered if he had noticed her; if he even cared anymore. The Remus of school would have at least glanced at her, possibly giving her a shy smile. This Remus seemed to have better things to do. He was still listening to Dumbledore. She realized she should be too. But maybe if she didn't, he'd fill her in later. She mentally slapped herself. She could no longer resort to immature plans to return her schoolgirl crush to her. She was here for a reason. And that reason was to help defeat Voldemort, not to stare at Remus like an idiot.

So she turned her head back to Dumbledore, locking eyes with him, and began learning the plans for the next few months, one final thought entering her mind: she wanted him back; she wanted him to know that she wouldn't leave him because of the discrimination he faced.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

He noticed her walk in through the corner of his eye. He wanted to turn to her, to acknowledge her, tell her he hadn't forgotten about her. He wasn't sure how he felt about her any more. He had stayed in touch, yes, but there wasn't any way to continue to be best friends through owls. Especially when the only contact they had had for four years was through owl.

He wanted to grow back together, of course. But he knew they could never be anything more than good friends. He was too dangerous.

Trying to look as if he was still paying attention, he watched her sit down through his peripheral vision. She was staring at him. No longer listening to Dumbledore, he began thinking back to seventh year, his favorite year. Since then, he had been forced to grow up a little too quickly. Voldemort was rising. He had to help fight him, and he couldn't do that whilst continually pranking others. It helped a bit that James had settled down and gotten married. He understood that their Marauder days must come to a close soon. Sirius hadn't. But he was forced to follow Lupin and James. Peter followed the majority; he had never been strong-willed.

She was still watching him. He realized that he missed seventh year, when all he truly had to care about was the full moon and exams. Now he had to help the Order, and had several times been so stressed he forgot his potion. Those days were terrible. He had had none of the Marauders with him, and was locked in a room, to bite and scratch himself once again. Now that he thought about it, memories began coming back to him. Seconds before transforming and seconds after returning to his human form he had only ever formed one thought: he wished she was with him. Though he wasn't sure how he felt about her romantically—he wasn't even sure how he had truly felt about her in seventh year—he knew that he missed her companionship.

And, realizing he should listen to Dumbledore, he formed one final thought about her: he needed her back in his life, whether as a friend or as someone who he loved. He knew they couldn't be together; it was too dangerous. But he could still love.

**A/N: ****Ugh, Lupin's part was kind of hard to write. Actually, if I'm being honest, the whole thing was hard to write. Thesistersblack4998, Katie Riddle, Dance Like a Hippogriff, hummel-Anderson girl, Somerlia, and Tiara d' Cullen, thanks for reviewing chapter 10! And actually, I hadn't even thought about including Mad-Eye. So I don't know if he'll ever make an appearance. Hoped you all enjoyed it, and don't forget to review!**


	12. After the Meeting

**A/N: Haha, just an interesting fact. The first five paragraphs or so of this were written on my Kindle. With a lot of typos and no commas. But still. And I've decided not to do all my chapters like the last one. But I think there will be a few more like it.**

**Not mine. Belongs to Jo. **

The meeting lasted for two hours. As the attending members, now weighed down with new plans and secrets, filed out of the room, Dumbledore bid them goodbye, reminding them when the next meeting would take place. But instead of rising and approaching the door, Remus only stood, standing next to his chair, turning toward Tonks, and beckoning her to stay in the room. Dumbledore shot them an inquisitive look, but, deciding that he was no longer their Headmaster and that they were allowed to stay, turned and left the room, his robes flowing behind him as they always did.

Tonks and Remus were still standing awkwardly next to each other at the end of the table. Glancing at Tonks, Remus gestured for her to follow him. He knew the house well from several years of order meetings, and had an idea of where he wanted to go. He led her into a room off the kitchen, an almost empty room that must have been used as a bedroom or living room at one point. All that remained was a small couch, one that made memories of a very stand-out year surface in both Tonks' and Remus' minds. The room was dark, lit only by the light reaching in from the kitchen, adding to the familiar feeling. Remus crossed the room, sitting down, and following his example, so did Tonks.

He smiled tiredly, the shyness from school having disappeared. "Haven't seen you since seventh year. I started missing that year the moment I graduated." Memories from that last night in the Shack flooded his mind, but he knew not to say anything about it; it would be too difficult. For them both.

She nodded, close to being overcome by emotions held back since that night. "I missed you too. So much." She looked at the floor, seemingly embarrassed by her next words, and whispered, "I never stopped missing you." She knew she had never stopped loving him either, but she couldn't say it. So she just continued to stare at the floor.

He longed to hug her, to comfort her, to make her feel better. But he felt that it would be awkward. He needed to rebuild their friendship first, return to being best friends, before he would feel comfortable. But after a few more seconds, deciding that not having true contact for years didn't erase their friendship, he moved closer to her on the couch, putting his arms around her. Lowering his mouth so that it was next to her ear, he whispered. "How have you been? Owls can't relay enough information."

Smiling stupidly at his actions, Tonks pulled away from him—silently trying to making sure that he knew it was to turn towards him, not because she felt awkward. Try as she might, she couldn't convince herself to ignore the feelings of regaining something that was lost.

They spent the next hour updating each other on their lives, including all the details that they hadn't been able to put into writing. And afterwards, they felt as if they had never been apart. They each knew what had been happening ever since they had graduated. And they felt just as close as they had towards the end of that stand-out year—not as strongly just yet, but closer than they had when Tonks first walked into the room of the meeting.

And even though they didn't say it, they realized they were both looking forward to growing even closer.

**A/N: This one was kind of hard to write too…But yes. I have a plan on what I'm going to write on for the rest of the story, and it should be another ten, fifteen chapters. It'll go all the way up to their deaths at the Battle of Hogwarts. So this second half will be much more canon than the first—it'll be based mainly on different events in the series. Chickenbutt, Tiara d' Cullen, and Thesistersblack4998, thanks for reviewing chapter 11. Hope you all liked it, and don't forget to review this chapter!**


	13. Tragedy

**A/N: Not mine. Jo's.**

It was a year after she joined the Order.

Tonks woke up in the middle of the night to an extremely bright light. It was as if the silver glow filled every crack and corner of the room, ensuring that she wouldn't sleep through its arrival. Blinking her eyes a few times, she focused on the source of the light—a Patronus. Her eyes widening as she realized that something drastic must have happened, she sat up, putting her feet on the floor near her bed, and watched it, awaiting its message. Dumbledore had taught them how to communicate with their Patronuses, so she knew that she would be hearing a personal message soon.

The Silver Phoenix opened its mouth, looking as if it was about to sing its song, but instead told her something that brought to her mind what she and the rest of the Order had been worrying about for months. It had happened.

_An emergency meeting has been called between select members of the Order. Do not tell anyone that this meeting has been called; only those invited should know. Make your way to the headquarters immediately, and do not waste any time. We need you here. _

Her eyes wide, she stood up immediately, getting dressed and making her way to the bathroom quickly in order to get ready, all the while trying not to allow the hot tears building up behind her eyelids to flow. She had to be strong. For all of them.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was woken up that night too.

Rolling over to see the source of the bright light that now infiltrated his room, Remus saw the Phoenix. Suddenly awake, he all but jumped out of bed, not even bothering to listen to the message. Because he knew that it would bring tidings of woe. And he knew that he had to make his way to the headquarters immediately. Listening to the whispered message just in case he was mistaken, he pulled on his clothes, ran a comb through his hair, and had disapparated before the second sentence of the message had completed.

He knew that an emergency meeting could only mean one thing. And so he hurried, trying his hardest to clear his mind of what he knew was about to be revealed as true. He needed to hold himself together in order to deal with the situation accordingly, no matter how hurtful the news would be.

So it was with a blank expression that he arrived at the headquarters, waiting to hear the news he already knew was true.

**A/N: Hmm, I was about to put another five word sentence at the end of this to at least tell you what's up. Then I thought I'd be mean to you. So here it is. ScarlettJuliett, Tiara d' Cullen, and Thesistersblack4998, thanks for reviewing! Hope everyone enjoyed it!**

**Please review!**


	14. The News

**A/N: Not mine. Jo's.**

Tonks and Lupin had arrived at the headquarters within seconds of each other. Each looking at the other grimly, they entered the house, and quietly took their spots at the kitchen table amongst twenty others who had arrived before them. Remus noted the absence of Rubeus, James, and Minerva, three of the people who he would have expected to be there.

But he knew what had happened, and their absences were necessary, even proved that his guess had been correct. Within the next five minutes, Sirius and Dumbledore arrived, along with Rubeus. Sirius had a defeated expression on his face; far from his usual joking manner, he looked as if he had lost all hope—a look that would return to him in later years after he spent time in Azkaban. Rubeus was in tears, and Dumbledore had a solemn expression on his face.

When Dumbledore swept to the front of the room, giving them all his mournful, piercing stare, and made the announcement, the effect was immediate. Remus, who had been standing near his chair, too anxious to sit down, staggered, almost falling to his knees. Obviously trying to fight back tears, he sat quickly, putting his elbows on the table and his face in his hands. The room was quiet, except for Rubeus' sobs that periodically shattered the silence. Glancing at Dumbledore, Tonks stood up, crossing the room. Quietly pulling out the chair next to Remus, she sat down, embracing him. She too had tears in her eyes, and let them go only when her face was buried in his shoulder—he was the only one that would know.

Throughout the last year, they had grown extremely close. In fact, they were even closer than they had been that last night in the Shack. However, even if they felt it, neither had acknowledged love. But Tonks still felt as if he was the person who knew her best; her worries, hopes, fears, and dreams. And she felt comfortable sitting there, sobbing into his shoulder—it was maybe one of the only things that would console her after the news.

For ten minutes, Dumbledore didn't speak again, allowing the members to grieve. Sirius pulled up a chair behind Remus and Tonks, putting a hand on each of their backs and hanging his head, giving himself his own type of privacy to mourn in.  
>Speaking quietly, Dumbledore told them that the meeting was disbanded, however, they could stay and leave when they needed. He gave them all another sad, sweeping look before he disapparated, obviously having important business to carry out.<p>

It was another ten minutes before anyone would move. Then, groups of two or three began slowly standing up and disapparating, going to tell their families what had happened. The room emptied until Sirius, Remus, and Tonks were the only ones that remained. However, even Sirius had to leave eventually. So after an hour, Remus and Tonks were the only ones left.

Unclasping her hands from around his right shoulder, Tonks sat back up, wiping her eyes and using her Metamorphagus abilities to make it look as if she hadn't been crying. And she watched him. He sat for a few more minutes, looking down at his knees while blinking, trying to wipe the tears away.

Both of them had known what was coming. But it hadn't lessened the effect of hearing the reality.

James and Lily Potter were dead.

**A/N: Bah, sorry it took so long to put up. Well, long for me anyway. I've just been busy. Or I didn't feel like writing. And I'm re-reading the HP series before the movie. But yeah, anyway. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! And Thesistersblack4998 and Tiara d' Cullen, thanks for reviewing! : )**


	15. September First

**A/N: Okay, I swear I'll remember to update this a lot more after today. Because at the moment, I keep forgetting about it. Oh, and since I re-read Order of the Phoenix, I feel like I haven't been doing Tonks' personality quite right, so I'll try to fix it…Not mine, Jo's. Enjoy!**

It had been ten years since the news about Lily and James made its way to their ears. Ten years since Sirius Black had been sent to Azkaban. Ten years since Voldemort had gone. Ten years since the Order was disbanded, and ten years since the members went back to their normal lives—if normal could be used to describe anything anymore.

Normal was now, more than ever, a concept more than a reality. For many of the surviving Order, in fact, normal _was_ Voldemort taking over the country—he had been doing so since they were children, and once he was destroyed, it was odd to return to a state of "normal." But they had, keeping in touch, and allowing friendships to grow even more than they could back then.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was morning. Golden sunlight was shining through the windows, painting everything in Tonks' house a light orange. Blinking slowly, she woke up, looking around at the sun-painted furniture around her. Realizing what day it was, she stood up and pulled on her clothes. Grabbing her wand off a table nearby, she sent a Patronus message to the one person she wanted to speak to on this day: Remus.

_Can you come? _

If he could, he would Apparate immediately to her living room downstairs; when it came to communication, they had a sort of system worked out. She exited her room, and began walking down the stairs, thinking of this day almost twenty years ago—the day she had first boarded the Hogwarts Express, excited that she was finally on her way to Hogwarts. It was September first, 1991, and the son of Lily and James would be heading to Hogwarts for the first time in less than two hours.

As she rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs into the living room, she saw Remus sitting on the couch, waiting for her. She grinned, knowing that even if he had been doing something, he would have come, and crossed the room, sitting cross-legged on the other end of the couch, facing him.

In the past ten years, he had gained many new scars from times he wasn't able to take his potion. However, since the war had ended, he had re-gained some of the innocence and a hint of shyness that he had possessed in his Hogwarts years—traits that showed themselves in the way he smiled, talked, even carried himself. It was why Tonks had fallen in love with him back then. Now, however, she knew that even though they were best friends, love couldn't be an option.

"Hey Remus!" She smiled. "Remember what today is?"  
>He thought for a moment. "September first."<br>She grinned. "Exactly. And you know who's going to be going to Hogwarts?"  
>He stared at her for a moment, his face saddening a bit as it usually did when Lily and James were brought up. "Harry. It's his first year."<br>She nodded. "So I was thinking that maybe we could go to Platform 9 ¾."  
>He frowned, immediately understanding her reasoning behind calling him to her house. "Tonks, I know you want to see him. It's like life is back to normal now that their son is going to Hogwarts. It's almost as if they could still be alive. But we can't. Not even Rubeus is going, and you know he's been helping Harry with Diagon Alley."<p>

"Yeah, but _just say_ we go. I can use a normal hair color. What if he can't get on the platform? Rubeus never said he told him how to get on."  
>Remus sighed. She knew exactly how to convince him to do something—and to be honest, he did want to meet Harry, to tell him all that he could about Lily and James, because there was no doubt that his Muggle family would have kept information from him. He knew that they may have explained that Harry's parents were witch and wizard. But they hadn't known them as Remus and Tonks had, couldn't tell Harry exactly who his parents were and what they fought for.<p>

He looked over to Tonks. She was smiling in a way that he knew meant that she had known she won. He sighed again.

"Sometimes I'm not sure why I even argue," he looked her straight in the eyes. "But the only way he can know we're there is if he can't get through the barrier or on the train."

She frowned, contemplating a rebuttal, but she knew that he wouldn't go under any other circumstances, so she accepted the conditions.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was ten twenty-five when the two of them Apparated to King's Cross, and they had only enough time to blend into the crowd before a young boy, a miniature of James, appeared in the entrance to the station, pushing a cart in front of him. His trunk and a cage with a snowy owl were perched on top.

Grinning, knowing that this must have been how James had once looked, Tonks glanced at Remus. A sad smile was on his face—he was no doubt remembering times when he had first seen James and Sirius on the platform, gravitating towards them and greeting his friends for the first time in weeks. However, he knew that he couldn't do anything here but observe, and she turned back to watch the child.

Harry seemed confused, unable to figure out how to enter platform 9 ¾. She sighed. "See, I knew Rubeus would forget to tell him."  
>But before she could suggest that they help him, they observed him meeting the Weasleys. She frowned. "How did we not see them? We've seen them enough you'd think we'd notice they were here."<br>He seemed not to hear her, but instead turned to her, saying "He'll be fine now. Molly's watching him." He slipped his hand into hers, and they disapparated.

**A/N: Tiara d' Cullen, HGromanticsap, Somerlia, Anonymous, and TheSistersBlack4998, thanks for reviewing chapter 14. I hope you all enjoyed it!  
>I was reading the first few chapters of this earlier, and I think before I go on to chapter sixteen, I'm going to revise chapter one heavily. It'll be the same thing, but better written. So that and another chapter should be up soon. <strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	16. Author's Note

**A/N: Hey, sorry if you thought this was a new chapter. But I've decided to revise previous chapters of this story quite a bit; adding more thoughts of Tonks/Lupin, making the chapters longer, etc. So for the next few days, I'll be updating old chapters before going on with the story. Thanks for continuing to read, and sorry for taking longer to update than usual lately. : ) **


	17. Nineteen Ninety Three

**A/N: Oh my gosh guys, I completely forgot about this. Sorry! So here's a little chapter because I couldn't think of what to write about third year…Not mine, Jo's.**

It was summer. Tonks was sitting on her couch, waiting anxiously for some sort of contact from her best friend. He had returned to Hogwarts for the first time since he had graduated to speak to Dumbledore about a job he had been offered as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. If he were a different person, Dumbledore would have simply given him the job and expected him to be there in September. However, things were different for him. Plans would have to be made for the full moon—someone would have to brew his potion, there would have to be a temporary teacher for the week surrounding full moon, and the secret would have to be guarded closely. But Dumbledore seemed to have full confidence in Remus.

Tonks tapped her foot. She was impatient. Remus had been gone for two hours, and she had been sitting there, waiting, since he left. The clock in the corner was _tick tick ticking_ the seconds away, and even though she had enough thoughts to immerse herself in for days, she couldn't help but wonder when he would return.

A few more minutes passed. And then a small, silvery light appeared in the middle of the room, growing slowly to illuminate the room. Leaning forward slightly, Tonks listened to its message, though she already had an idea of what it would say.

_Can I come? _

Smiling, she sent a one-worded reply and waited for the crack that announced his arrival. Only a few seconds passed before she heard a pop near her front door. Footsteps approached, and Remus walked silently into the room, a slight grin on his face.

This grin wouldn't have any effect on anyone else, but for Tonks, the simple sign of happiness was enough to make a matching grin appear on her face. It had been two years since they had traveled to Platform 9 ¾, and since then, Tonks had acknowledged that her feelings for Remus were growing into something more once again. But she hadn't spoken a word about it, and she wasn't going to. It was a secret she would have to keep.

Even if he felt the same, he would use the same reasons that he had used in seventh year. It would never work. So when he said something sweet or hugged her, she tried her hardest to ignore the small butterflies rising in her stomach.

"So did you get the job?" she asked, even though the grin on his face told her what had occurred.

He nodded, sitting down next to her. "Dumbledore sorted it all out. I've said it before, and it remains true. He is a great Headmaster."

She smiled, unsure of what to say other than "congratulations." But he knew she was happy for him, so she remained silent.

But the conversation wasn't made awkward. Nothing was ever awkward while they were together.

A few minutes passed in silence.

"So you'll be teaching Harry then, right?" She grinned.

He nodded once again. "But I can't talk to him about his parents. Just like Minerva can't."  
>She frowned. "Can't you say <em>anything<em> about them to him?"  
>He shrugged. "I'll be a teacher. I won't be able to speak to him about anything but Defense Against the Dark Arts. He may never know that I knew them."<p>

She nodded, still frowning. "Dumbledore will have to let you."  
>He was silent, knowing that she would continue to push the fact. The only way to stop it was to be silent.<p>

A few more minutes passed in silence, each of them thinking about the upcoming year.  
>"Will you be able to visit?" She was trying to mask something, but he couldn't be sure what.<p>

He shrugged. "Maybe on weekends. I'll live at the castle."  
>She nodded again. For the first time since she had acknowledged her growing feelings for him, she wanted to talk to him about it. But she didn't want to take part in the conversation the followed. Often, she wished that he could accept it. She imagined what would happen after that. But as they had accepted years before, it was impossible.<p>

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was summer once again. The last day of Hogwarts' final semester had been yesterday, and Remus was looking forward to returning to his "normal" life—the life where Sirius was gone, Peter was dead, and Snape was still a bad memory from their Hogwarts days. He couldn't ignore what had happened on that last full moon, but these simple facts remained true now that he was returning home.

He was also looking forward to seeing Tonks again. He hadn't realized how much he missed her until he was gone for a year. He didn't have her advice, her words of encouragement, her thoughts on what he should do. Of course, he used owls, but they didn't receive a response as quickly as he did when he could visit her. Of course, he only missed her as a best friend. He couldn't, and wouldn't, allow himself to think of her as anything else. This made both of their lives easier—he wouldn't allow her to face the hate that he faced on a daily basis.

He arrived home, sat down on a couch, resting for a minute, and sent a Patronus to her house with a short question.

When a _yes_ arrived only thirty seconds later, he wasn't surprised. He gave a slight smile to the air around him, knowing that she would be extremely excited to see him; they hadn't met since Christmas. Wasting no time, he stood up, Apparating immediately to her home and letting himself in. She had set up a charm at the front door—all he had to do was tap the brick three up and two across from the door—the same combination to get into Diagon Alley—and a small, transparent box would appear on the side of the house, with a single golden key inside. This was how he let himself in every time he visited.

He fit this key into the lock, opening the door. Replacing the key, he entered the house, and began making his way down the hallway that lead to her living room.

For a split second, he allowed himself to wonder what it would be like to live here. To come home and be able to sit on the couch, talk about his thoughts with her, drink tea over conversation. Live a normal life.

But then reality set in, and he shook the thoughts out of his mind as he entered the living room, where Tonks was sitting on the couch waiting for him. She grinned at him, and as he sat next to her out of habit, she hugged him as if she would never let go.

She breathed in his ear, an oddly comforting feeling. "I missed you."  
>He hugged back, feeling no words were necessary to tell her how much he agreed.<p>

And then he was telling the whole story of what had happened those past few days, and she was nodding, listening silently, and he was realizing just how much he had missed her. But he kept this to himself.  
>The hours flew by, and soon they were saying goodbye once again, even though they knew that now, their lives were back to normal. For how long, nobody knew, but they were glad to just speak in person again.<p>

**A/N: Okay, I'm going to try and do that whole, one chapter a day thing I had going on a few months ago. Sorry for taking so long to update lately. **

**Tangleddove15, Katie Riddle, albaKonst, and HGromanticsap, thanks for reviewing chapter 15 and I hope you enjoyed this!**


	18. The Advance Guard

**A/N: So, I've already failed at that one chapter a day thing, but at least it hasn't been a week. And as I've mentioned before, I know that Tonks and Lupin are, **_**in canon**_**, thirteen years apart. However, for the purposes of my story, I needed to have them both in Hogwarts at dating age. Anyway, like I say on every chapter, this is Jo's, not mine. **

They were sitting at a meeting in Grimmauld Place, waiting to receive new tasks. It was only a few months after they had gotten the message that Voldemort had returned, the message that told them that the Order would be reinstated.

That night, Remus hadn't even asked, just Apparated immediately into her living room, and they had sat silently on her couch, locked in an embrace for almost an hour before Apparating to Grimmauld Place. The message had included instructions to go to Grimmauld Place when it became possible—Dumbledore needed to see who could still be active and needed to give out pre-war tasks. That night, much of the old Order had reappeared, and had received instructions for the coming weeks.

Now, only a few months later, Remus and Tonks were being asked to do something that would allow them to speak openly with Harry—something that hadn't been allowed when Remus was a teacher. They, along with Alastor, Kingsley, Elphias, Dedalus, Emmeline, Sturgis, and Hestia, would travel to Privet Drive, taking Harry away from the Dursleys, and bringing him to the Headquarters. This had always been the eventual plan, but Harry had, in the past few days, gotten in trouble with the Ministry. Dumbledore believed that Harry hadn't had a choice but to use magic in front of Muggles, as the Ministry had stated that a Patronus Charm was used. However, he felt that he needed to get Harry away from his Aunt and Uncle as soon as possible, so he was sending a group to fetch Harry, and bring him to Headquarters for the rest of the summer.

The group would be sent a few days later. In the meantime, Tonks was assigned the job of making sure that Harry's Aunt, Uncle, and Cousin would be out of the house.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley:

Congratulations! You have been short-listed for the All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition!  
>Our judges have scoured the country for those houses with only the most perfect lawns.<p>

In order to receive your prize, you must go to the address on the attached card on August 5th, at 7:00 PM.

If you fail to arrive, we will award your prize to a different home owner.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Remus silently opened the door of the dark house, leading a group of eight others into Four Privet Drive, Tonks following right behind him. They padded into the kitchen, trying to figure out where Harry would be. As they crossed the floor, however, Tonks slammed into the table, knocking a plate and silverware to the floor.

Mentally kicking herself, she apologized profusely, setting the silverware back on the table and fixing the plate with _reparo_. The rest of them began wondering out loud what they were to do now that they were here.  
>"Why don't we go up to his room?"<br>"No, that would scare him."  
>Eventually, they created a rough idea of what to do. They crossed the kitchen once again, standing at the bottom of the stairs.<p>

Lupin flicked his wand, unlocking Harry's bedroom door with a nonverbal _Alohamora._

Harry came walking of the room, his wand hand held aloft

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

That night, after Harry had gone upstairs to bed with Ron and the rest of the under-age wizards, Remus and Tonks remained in the kitchen longer than anyone else.

She grinned. "He's just like them. Exactly like them."

He gave a small nod. "I told you two years ago…he's both of them in one."

She nodded, remembering, and reminiscing over the last day, the day when she finally had the chance to speak to Harry.

**A/N: So that was a lot longer than a day. And a very short chapter, which didn't have much Lupin or Tonks. **_**However**_**, next chapter is where the story gets interesting again. The Department of Mysteries. And from there, it just gets awesome. HGromanticsap, Nerdygirl.108, SilverBells99, albaKonst, and Thesistersblack4998, thanks for reviewing! **

**Hope everyone enjoyed this!**


	19. The Department of Mysteries

**A/N: As usual, Jo's, not mine.**

The glowing doe appeared silently in the kitchen, but it was noticed immediately.

Its mouth moved, speaking with the voice of a Professor.

_Potter believes Black is at the Ministry. Is he at Headquarters?_

Sirius was fetched by those who were in the kitchen, and sent a reply stating that he was safe.

However, the message that arrived about a half hour later only worried those that were at Headquarters.

_Potter has not returned from the Forest. I believe he has gone to the Ministry, playing the hero once again. Are there enough Order members at Headquarters to follow him? Black must remain. Albus is on his way._

Within three minutes, the four members already at Headquarters were Apparating to the Ministry.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The group rushed through the Labyrinth that was the Ministry of Magic as fast as they could. Moody and Kingsley lead the group, with Lupin and Tonks following closely behind.

Tonks' mind was racing, listing scenarios—all the possibilities of what could be happening in the Department of Mysteries. To any outsider, she looked calm, collected. But Remus knew better. The way her eyes were constantly looking around, unable to rest, the way her hands were swinging back and forth frantically, he knew she was terrified of what was happening without them. But she didn't tell anyone of her thoughts, focused completely on the task ahead of them.

Remus was trying not to let doubts or worries infiltrate his own mind, focused only on each and every step he took. If he worried, he would drive himself mad.

As they finally reached the door that lead to the Department of Mysteries, Sirius caught up with them. None of them felt as if they had time to argue, so he was reluctantly allowed to follow.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

They burst into the Death Chamber, and without stopping to process what she was seeing, Tonks sent a Stunning spell at Lucius, knowing only that he was a Death Eater, and that there were bound to be more. Within seconds, the other Order members were shooting spells at every Death Eater they could see as they raced to the center of the room.

Bellatrix made her way to Tonks as quickly as possible, and soon the two of them were locked in combat, Bellatrix's wand producing jet after jet of green light. Tonks was ducking, trying to evade the spells, while shooting curses of her own at her Aunt.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Order was fighting their own Death Eaters, weaving around the spells being flung every which way.

And Tonks was still fighting, until Bellatrix seemingly missed a beat. Catching Tonks off guard, she sent a Stunning Spell at her, hitting Tonks right in the chest. She fell, unconscious, down the steps.

Remus finally knocked his Death Eater unconscious, and, realizing that Lucius was once again drawing closer to Harry and Neville, who were on the steps, he launched himself between them, having to take up a sort of dance immediately, dodging spell after spell. As he dueled, he yelled over his shoulder. _"Harry, round up the others and GO!"_ But then he had no more time to worry about them, focusing only on the spells being flung at him by Lucius.

And suddenly Dumbledore was there. All fighting ceased, except for the duel of Sirius and Bellatrix.

He_ saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: He was laughing at her. "Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room._

_The second jet of light hit him squarely in the chest. _

_The laughter had not quite died form his face, but his eyes widened in shock…_

_It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch. _

_And _he_ saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on _Sirius'_ wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient door way and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place._

Bellatrix gave a scream of an insane happiness, knowing that she had reigned triumphant over her cousin.

There was a moment where all was silent, until Sirius' defeat seemed to sink in.

"_SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "SIRIUS!"  
><em>He wasn't even thinking, making his way down the steps toward the dias as quickly as possible, and as he reached the floor, Remus realized what Harry was doing, hurrying forward and grabbing him, prohibiting him from jumping through the Veil after his Godfather.

"_There's nothing you can do, Harry—"_

"_Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"_

"_It's too late, Harry—"_

"_We can still reach him—"_

_Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go._

Remus felt as if his own body had fallen through the veil—out of the group he had befriended at Hogwarts, now, only himself and Dora remained. He didn't count Wormtail, the traitor. But right now he couldn't dwell on it. All of his focus was on Harry, consoling him, convincing him that Sirius was gone.

_Sirius was gone_. And he couldn't be brought back. They would never have another laugh, never relive their Hogwarts days through Number 12.

"_He hasn't gone!" Harry yelled._

"_SIRIUS!" he bellowed, "SIRIUS!"_

"_He can't come back, Harry," said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry. "He can't come back, because he's d—"_

"_HE—IS—NOT—DEAD!" roared Harry. "SIRIUS!"_

The battle had recommenced around them, but, thankfully, no Death Eater came forward to challenge the two grieving wizards. Remus had to hide his emotions; helping Harry was the only thing on his mind. His own sorrow would come later. He put a stop to the memories running through his mind, pulling Harry away from the dais, back to the stairs. They stood silently, each of them tuned out of their lives, hearing nothing, seeing nothing of importance. Remus noted subtly that Mad-Eye was trying to revive Tonks.

"_Harry?"_

The voice seemed to bring them both back to their senses. They both looked over, Remus easing his hold on Harry until he was only grasping Harry's arm.

"_Harry…I'b really sorry…" said Neville. His legs were still dancing uncontrollably. "Was dat man—was Sirius Black a—a friend of yours?"  
>Harry nodded. <em>

"_Here," said Lupin quietly, and pointing his wand at Neville's legs he said "_Finite."_ The spell was lifted. Neville's legs fell back onto the floor and remained still. Lupin's face was pale. "Let's—let's find the others. Where are they all, Neville?"_

_Lupin turned away from the archway as he spoke. It sounded as though every word was causing him pain. _

"_Dey're all back dere," said Neville. "A brain addacked Ron Bud I dink he's all righd—and Hermione's unconscious, bud we could feel a bulse—"_

_There was a loud bang and a yell from behind the dais. Harry saw Kingsley, yelling in pain, hit the ground. Bellatrix Lestrange turned tail and ran as Dumbledore whipped around. He aimed a spell at her but she deflected it. She was halfway up the steps now—_

"_Harry—no!" cried Lupin, but Harry had already ripped his arms from Lupin's slackened grip._

"_SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" bellowed Harry, "SHE KILLED HIM—I'LL KILL HER!"  
>And he was off, scrambling up the stone benches.<em>

Several of the Order moved as if to follow, but Dumbledore stopped them all, saying that he would go after Harry himself, and delegating the task to round up the other students to the remaining Order members.

A few minutes more of dueling ensued, until the Death Eaters were overcome. Those that weren't unconscious Disapparated, leaving the Death Chamber silent for the first time since the first spells were thrown.

Remus was just going through the motions, his mind whirling. He felt as if he could collapse, sleep for weeks. But he still put his emotions to the back of his mind, walking swiftly to where Tonks was finally stirring.

She blinked awake, taking the hand he had outstretched, and standing up weakly.

"What happened?"  
>Of course she would ask.<p>

Something in his expression must have warned her about what had happened, as she shook her head slightly, her gaze never leaving his eyes.

"Is everyone okay?"  
>He shook his head, unable to say anything. And suddenly it was harder to keep everything locked away then it had been all night.<p>

But he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers.

"Who?"  
>And he finally looked down, feeling the smallest amount of emotion enter his eyes, but not allowing the tears to fall.<p>

"Sirius."

She was silent for a few seconds, and when she spoke again, her voice was thick with emotion, forcing her into a whisper. "You don't have to hide everything you know. They're gone. Even the other Order members. They've gone to get the kids, bring them back to Hogwarts." This was true. In the time it had taken him to walk across the room and speak to Tonks, the other members had made their way up the steps to gather those who had not made it to the Death Chamber.  
>And only then did he let any tears slide down his cheeks. With James, his grief had been different. He hadn't shed any tears for hours after his death. Maybe it was due to the fact that he hadn't seen it firsthand, or the fact that he was young and "invincible." But with Sirius, reality was sinking in quickly.<p>

Several minutes passed in which he looked at the floor, and she stared at him, each of them processing everything that had happened in the last few hours.

But then she stepped forward silently, closing the distance between them, reaching up, and before he knew what was happening, she was kissing him softly.

A few moments passed before he finally came to his senses, lifting his hands to her shoulders and pushing her away gently, unsure of what had spawned her actions and why, exactly, he was pushing her away.

She, too, was in tears, and her eyes searched his, trying to tell him everything that was going through her mind.

"Tonks, no. I can't. We've been over this."

But she was finally going to fight for herself.

"But I _don't care_. I love you, and there's nothing you can do about it," she gestured to the veil. "Voldemort's back. You could go at any time, just like—" her voice caught, and she swallowed before going on, still whispering. "Just like Sirius. I don't want to lose you like that."

He shook his head again, again putting a stop to his emotions. He would grieve later, think about her later too. But for now, he had to make sure that the kids were safe. At least that was the excuse he gave himself.

He was halfway up the stairs when he finally turned back, unable to ignore the absence of her footsteps any longer.

She was still standing in the same place, just watching him, and when she noticed him staring at her, she seemed to come to her senses, shaking her head slightly and following him out of the Ministry.

**A/N: Again, it took about a week to get this up. I have about ten more chapters planned…But hopefully it won't take ten weeks. Thesistersblack4998, sportygirl8, albaKonst, and HGromanticsap, thanks for reviewing the last chapter, and I hope you all enjoyed this one!**


	20. Rejection

**A/N: Jo's, not mine. And yes, I am aware again, that in the book, Lupin was much older than Tonks. So I had to modify the dialogue a bit at the end of this chapter. Just a pre-warning.**

Over the next few months, Remus and Tonks saw each other significantly less—where he had never done so before, he stated that he was too busy or unable to come to her home when she asked him. She had plenty of opportunity to ask—she often tracked him down at Headquarters just to do so. She knew he just didn't want to face her. Their next encounter would surely be awkward, full of unasked questions, unsaid worries.

Sure, they had seen each other several times at Headquarters, on those rare occasions when she had asked him to come to her home. But other times, when she just waved to him, or said hi in passing, he never acknowledged her, under the pretext of speaking to another member or looking through papers. The only time he had even noticed her presence was when she asked him to come to her home. And his only answer to that had been no.

She had never intended to ruin their friendship. Yes, she had other friends. But he was her closest friend—the one she talked to about everything. And now he had suddenly left, leaving her feeling alone. Abandoned. She dwelled on this fact much more than was probably healthy, but she couldn't help herself. She had believed, that night, that he would finally change his mind; allow her into his life. But she had been rejected, and had lost the company of her best friend. She was even having trouble changing her appearance, stuck with mousy brown colored hair. Molly had been extremely kind, allowing her to spend her days at the Burrow.

Finally, however, she felt that they must meet.  
>It was the day before she would be taken to Hogwarts in order to begin her guard duty for Dumbledore in Hogsmeade. Any other year, she wouldn't have wanted the job, preferring to stay near Remus and her other friends. But this year…<p>

She shook hear head slightly, waving her wand and sending a Patronus to Remus. This was the first time he would have seen it since the Department of Mysteries; she was sure that the fact that it had changed forms would bring him to her. She knew him that well, at least.

Sure enough, she heard him entering her house using the hidden key after two or three minutes. He walked in calmly, though she knew a lot more was going on in his mind.

"Your Patronus changed."  
>She nodded. "But that's not why you're here."<p>

He gave a small shrug, still staying distant even though he had sat down only feet away from her. "Then why _am_ I here?"

She sighed. "We haven't spoken all summer. Thought I'd say bye before leaving tomorrow." She obviously wasn't saying everything she was thinking, but he knew that.  
>He didn't respond, staring at her questioningly.<p>

"Look, Remus, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you. I didn't know you'd—"  
>He had begun shaking his head slowly. "Dora, that isn't why I haven't been speaking to you lately."<p>

She noted the abbreviated use of her first name, something he had done maybe five times before. A small crease appeared between her eyebrows; he was toying with her, something he never did.

However, there was no other explanation. She couldn't see why there would be another reason for his statement, and she didn't want to get her hopes up. Due to this train of thought, she shut down her emotions before she responded; she wouldn't let him see what she was thinking. She was already confused and hurt, but she wouldn't allow him to see that. "Why, then?"

He hesitated for a minute before answering. "Because I cannot let myself be around you. I don't want to hurt you like that again. Seventh year was so long ago. I can't…" he shook his head again. "I can't allow myself to feel the same way about you. You'll be shunned by the entire Wizarding World."  
>She hadn't been expecting this. Shock registered on her face, which was quickly replaced by a look of determination. "But Remus, I don't care. How many times to I have to tell you this? I <em>don't care<em> how I'll be viewed by everyone else."  
>But he was shaking his head again. "I can't let you do that to yourself. You don't know what it would be like. You would have most of the same prejudices placed against you—no job, most of the Wizarding World glaring at you for only being with me. I'm damaged. You need someone who's whole. Unblemished."<br>Swallowing with difficulty, she stared at him for a moment, wondering why he couldn't understand that she didn't care. "But we've been friends since we were little. People already look down on me for being friends with you. I _don't care._ I want you. Not their approval."  
>It was obviously hurting him to decline her yet again. "No, Dora. I won't let you." He stood up abruptly, leaving the room.<br>Distantly she heard her door close, and the _pop_ that meant he had Disapparated, before giving in to the emotions welling up inside her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Dumbledore was dead.

Remus and Tonks were standing in the Hospital Wing, crowded around Bill's bed with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Minerva.

They had just received the news.  
>Dumbledore was dead.<br>The fact continually repeated itself in Tonks' mind, but it seemed dull, far away. She couldn't stop thinking about all that had happened that night. The truth would sink in soon, but at the moment, all she could do was convince herself it was true—but Dumbledore, Dumbledore was immortal. He couldn't die. Harry had to be lying. But she knew he wasn't. Dumbledore had never been immortal. Fawkes was singing, and the song was surely helping her feel a bit better. But it also proved that Dumbledore was gone.

Dumbledore was dead.

All Remus could think of was the huge debt he still owed Dumbledore. This was the man who had allowed him to attend Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have. He never felt as if he had thanked the headmaster enough for the opportunity he had been given. And now he was gone. Much like Tonks, he couldn't yet believe that Dumbledore was gone. He felt numb, knowing that the truth would hit him soon, but not just yet.

_The doors of the hospital wing burst open, making them all jump: Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were striding up the ward, Fleur just behind them, her beautiful face terrified. _

"_Molly—Arthur—" said Professor McGonagall, jumping up and hurrying to greet them. "I am so sorry—"_

"_Bill," whispered Mrs. Weasley, darting past Professor McGonagall as she caught sight of Bill's mangled face. "Oh, _Bill!_"_

_Lupin and Tonks had got up hastily and retreated so that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could get nearer to the bed. Mrs. Weasley bent over her son and pressed her lips to his bloody forehead._

At this point, Tonks tuned out of the conversation, thinking about Dumbledore. In truth, she wasn't thinking only about him, but also of the man standing next to her. Several more times that year, they had argued about why he wouldn't allow himself to feel anything for her. She just couldn't get him to understand that she loved him, and how she would be viewed by the public wouldn't change that.

"_Of course, it doesn't matter how he looks...It's not r-really important...but he was a very handsome little b-boy…always very handsome…and he was g-going to be married!"_

"_And what do you mean by zat?" said Fleur suddenly and loudly. "What do you mean ''e was _going_ to be married?'"_

_Mrs. Weasley raised her tear-stained face, looking startled. "Well—only that—"_

"_You theenk Bill will not swish to marry me anymore?" demanded Fleur. "You theenk, because of these bites, he will not love me?"_

"_No, that's not what I—"_

"_Because 'e will!" said Fleur, drawing herself up to her full height and throwing back her long mane of silver hair. "It would take more zan a werewolf to stop Bill loving me!"_

"_Well, yes, I'm sure," said Mrs. Weasley, "but I thought perhaps—given how—how he—"_

"_You thought I would not weesh to marry him? Or per'aps, you hoped?" said Fleur, her nostrils flaring. "What do I care how he looks? I am good-looking enough for both of us, I theenk! All these scars show is that my husband is brave! And I shall do zat!" she added fiercely, pushing Mrs. Weasley aside and snatching the ointment from her. _

Remus glanced at Tonks. He knew that earlier she had stopped listening, drowning in her own thoughts. He hoped that she was still thinking, because if she wasn't, he knew what was coming. But the look on her face proved him correct. The only thing he wasn't sure of was when it was coming.

_And then, Harry did not quite see how it happened, both women were crying and hugging each other. Completely bewildered, wondering whether the world had gone mad, he turned around: Ron looked as stunned as he felt and Ginny and Hermione were exchanging startled looks. _

"_You see!" said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's bitten! She doesn't care!"  
>"It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The case are completely—"<em>

"_But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times..."  
>"And I've told <em>you_ a million times," said Lupin, refusing her eyes, staring at the floor, "that _I am too poor for you_…too dangerous..."_

"_I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her on the back. _

"_I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."_

"_But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so."  
>He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them. <em>

"_This is…not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead…"  
>"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall curtly.<em>

And Hagrid entered the room. Seeming as if she was done for the moment, Tonks gave Remus one last sad look before tuning out of reality once again.

**A/N: LalaLupin, HGromanticsap, Weeping Angel of Fear, and Thesistersblack4998, thanks for reviewing! Hope everyone liked this chapter, and I hope to get one or two more up before I start school next week. **


	21. Proposal and Wedding

**A/N: Jo's, not mine.**

With a small smile on her face, Tonks sent a message to Remus, asking him to come once again. The past few weeks had involved several final arguments between them, but she had finally convinced him that she didn't care that he wasn't "whole;" she didn't care that she would be disliked by much of the Wizarding World if they were together. He had finally relented, allowing her to display how much she loved him without objection. In turn, he finally began displaying his feelings to her—and from his actions, she knew that he had felt the same way about her for longer than he had let on—he had been repressing his love for Merlin knew how long to save her from himself.

Since then they had been speaking more than ever before; it was normal for him to be at her home almost as much as he was at his own, and for her to be at his home the same amount of time. She was no longer having problems with changing her appearance—her love was no longer unrequited. She could finally speak to him without having to hide all her emotions, and he could do the same.

She heard the key click in the distant doorway, allowing him entrance into her home. As he entered the living room, she saw him tuck something into his pocket, but she disregarded this almost instantly—it was surely something of little importance.

She smiled as he crossed the room, sitting next to her, not smiling, but obviously very happy.

"Hi Dora,"

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, her grin never flickering. "Hey Remus…You hear the plan for Harry?"  
>He nodded. Of course he had heard the plan. Most of the remaining Order members had—the death toll was getting larger and there just weren't as many of them as there used to be. "You're coming too, correct?"<p>

"Yeah…but I don't know if I like the plan. I don't want anything to happen to anyone. And as much as I trust Moody, it just sounds like a death trap to me. What if Voldemort finds out when we're moving him? The death eaters will definitely ambush us if they have the chance. I don't know…I just don't anything to happen to anyone," she gave a small sigh. She liked excitement and adventure, but these days, excitement and adventure usually meant the death of a loved one. She didn't want to lose anyone else, especially Remus. She loved the Order members dearly—they were her best friends, and each time one died it was as if a small piece of her had died with them. But she had been friends with Remus since they were children, and now that they finally had something more than friendship, she didn't want him to go.

He gave another grim nod, acknowledging his matching feelings. "Moody's smart. He won't let them know when we're moving Harry."  
>"I know, it's just…what if he somehow finds out? I don't want…" she trailed off, thinking about how it would feel to lose any of the other members.<p>

His eyes narrowed in thought for a second, before he took his cue from her silence, "I can promise you, at least, that you will never lose me."

A crease appeared between her eyebrows, confused by his train of thought. "What?"

"Do you want to keep me around?"  
>She gave a small smile, still confused, but at least able to answer the question. "Of course I want to keep you around. All that time would be wasted if I didn't."<br>A shy smile flitted across his features, a reflection of those that had shown themselves in happier times, years before. "Do you want to make sure it stays that way?"  
>She knew what he was doing now, bringing out his inner Marauder. She still wasn't completely sure how this conversation started, why they were no longer speaking of the Order, but she was intrigued. Grinning, she answered, "Of course I do."<br>_There she is. _Looking at her intently, measuring her reaction to everything he did, he slipped off the couch, supporting himself on one knee in front of her. She watched, her eyes and face showing unbelievable happiness, realizing what he was about to do.

"Nymphadora Tonks," at the use of her full name, a choked laugh escaped her. Of course he would use her full name. Though she would have normally rolled her eyes at him, her eyes never left his. "will you marry me?"

Almost immediately, she was off the couch and in his arms, her lips pressed to his.

"Of course," she answered as they broke apart. "I love you."  
>And for the first time since his seventh year, the first time he was ever sure that he was speaking truth, he answered "I love you too."<p>

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Less than a month later, they entered a small Church with only themselves and a few close family members to witness the bond about to be created. The wedding was to be small, but the feelings were as true as any. Tonks, especially, was ecstatic. She was wearing a simple white dress, beautiful, but simple. Her hair was in an elegant updo for the occasion, chocolate brown instead of her normal neon. Remus looked mainly unaltered, other than the tuxedo he was wearing replacing the usual shabby-looking robes. Full moon had been about a week earlier, so at this point, he looked only a little pale—only a hint of sickness remained.

Their wedding featured none of the glamour that was normal—it was them and only them. Even their few family members didn't seem to be there; though the ceremony was simple, only Remus and Tonks mattered. Everything else floated into oblivion.

About ten minutes before the ceremony, Tonks' mind was racing. Her wedding was finally here—she didn't care about glamour; she loved the simple nature of the ceremony. As she waited for the time when they would begin, she began going through every moment that they had spent together, from the time they first met to the moment he had finally relented, and every moment since then—the several unofficial dates they had been on, and his proposal. They had never truly dated. But then again, they had been best friends since they were at Hogwarts. And she thought about how since she had been fourteen, she had never allowed herself to love another. He was hers from the beginning.

Though he had a weary look about him, one that seemed to be permanent, he was just as happy as Tonks was, knowing that he could never have chosen another—if he had a choice between Dora or anyone else in the world, she would be the one he chose. Her jokes and fun-loving nature helped both balance out his seriousness and coax out his inner Marauder. It was easy for him to be constantly serious due to the war, but she helped him relax. As he too waited, he was also, in a way, reliving their relationship. However, he only thought about the day in the Shrieking Shack when all this had truly began, the first time he had seen her since graduation, Sirius' death, Dumbledore's death, and his proposal.

They were both as ready for this day as they could be, and even though they were in the middle of a war, even though they had difficult missions ahead of them, they were about as happy as they could possibly be.  
>Both wiped all emotions from their mind, only allowing their happiness to show on their faces, so that as the wedding finally began, they were ready to say "I do."<p>

**A/N: Weeping Angel of Fear, HGromanticsap, and BMWWfreak, thanks for reviewing! I hope you all liked it! I'm not sure when my next chapter will be up, as school has now started, but I'll try to make it soon. Thanks for reading!**


	22. Disagreement

**A/N: I have about 5 or 6 more chapters planned. The last three were actually planned to be six, but I condensed them…however, the final ones should be about as many as I'm planning. Anyway, this is Jo's, not mine, because I didn't randomly transform into her. **

July came and went, and with it, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. From the wedding's infiltration, they had disappeared, and only a few knew where they were.

For Remus and Tonks, life had continued just as normally as it could—they were still being given different jobs to carry out for the Order, and no others had died since the night that Mad-Eye had gone. Tonks had cried for days, her hair once again stuck on a mousy brown color. They had been incredibly close; she couldn't stand the fact that the "vigilant," tough Moody was gone. But, quicker than Sirius and Dumbledore, she had been forced to go on; with war, she had to continue quickly—she couldn't spend her time mourning when there was so much to be done for the war effort. Now, she was again able to change her appearance, but it could be difficult at times.

Remus had, of course, been shocked by Moody's death, but he hadn't been with Moody as Tonks had; he had mourned in his quiet, secretive way. But he also knew that he couldn't dwell on it—there were more pressing issues to deal with.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Sitting on the couch in their living room, Remus flipped a page of the _Daily Prophet_ he was reading. Though it was all lies, he had to get his basic facts from somewhere, and there just weren't any other informal papers for him to receive.  
>Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he looked up, expecting to see Tonks as she always was these days—a more muted color of hair, though her smile was as radiant as ever. However, today, her hair was an unexpected bright pink, maybe one of the brightest colors he had seen since Moody's death. Her whole face was lit up in a smile—it wasn't a smile that refrained from touching her eyes, because they showed as much happiness as the rest.<p>

A crinkling sound filled the air as he folded his paper, knowing that he wouldn't be reading it for a while.

Her happiness, as usual, was contagious; he felt a small smile appear on his lips as he continued looking at her, looking for something that caused this happiness. He patted the seat next to him, asking her to sit. Immediately, she made it down the rest of the stairs and plopped on the couch, the grin never leaving her face.  
>His eyebrows rose expectantly, asking her <em>"what happened?"<br>_She took a breath, obviously expecting him to be just as excited as she. "Remus…I'm pregnant."

At first, only shock could register on his face, before the implications of this hit him. He put a fake smile on, forcing the words out. "That's great, Dora."  
>But she knew him well enough to know that his reaction was in no way genuine, and her smile disappeared almost instantly, replaced by a frown. "What's wrong?"<br>He could tell she was crushed by his reaction; she had expected him to hug her, kiss her, anything but what he was doing. "I'm sorry…It's just…" he trailed off before trying to repair what he had done. "It really is great." He forced another small smile on his face, trying to convince her that he was truly excited.  
>She was looking at him with an extremely sad expression on her face, looking betrayed. "What's wrong?" she repeated.<br>He gave a small sigh, dropping his act as he dropped his gaze to the floor; he knew that she wouldn't be convinced at this point. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

However, she was now intent on finding out the truth, her face still showing incredible hurt. "Remus. Tell me what's wrong."  
>He gave another small sigh, forced to tell. "Do you even realize what this means?" She didn't respond, her eyes searching his face though she refused to look him in the eyes. He continued. "I've made it an outcast before it's even been born. You told me over and over you didn't care. But it has no say in the matter."<br>She remained silent, determined not to let her feelings show any more than they already had, forcing her face into a mask. But instead of calming Remus as she usually did with self-controlling gestures such as these, this only made his feelings more urgent. He stood up, linking his hands behind his head, and began pacing.  
>"People like me never breed! It won't just be like you. It won't just be associated with a werewolf. I know it will be like me. From birth, it'll have to fear that one night a month; it can never be normal!"<br>At this, Tonks looked up, determination once again on her face. "But he'll have you—"

"And what am I? Someone it can only be ashamed of," He had stopped pacing, staring at Tonks, trying to make her understand. "Who would want their father to be a werewolf, when it means they'll be hated for their whole life without a say in the fact?"  
>"Remus—"<p>

"We never should have married. It's ruined your life, and now, the life of an innocent child!" He was raising his voice now, desperate to make the facts known. At this, Tonks felt hot tears forming, but she wouldn't give up on him. Swallowing with difficulty, she once again tried to get her say.

"But Remus—"

"No, Dora, I can't—"

"No!" She stood up, facing him now. "Listen to me. Why would any child be ashamed of you? You'll be a brilliant father, and who cares if you have a 'furry little problem?'" She was quoting James now, trying to show him that there were those who didn't care. "Something that happens for twelve hours every month ought not to define a person. If people hate you or our child for that, they obviously aren't worth hanging around! If he's like you, he'll have someone to look after him when he's younger. And—"

"If it's like me, I've ruined its life. It shouldn't have to have me around, someone it can never be proud of. I've ruined both of you. You shouldn't have to deal with me. I'm not worth your time."  
>Her protesting melted into begging as she realized what he was doing. "But Remus!"<p>

"No. Stay at your parent's house. It'll be much better for everyone. I should never have married you."  
>At this point, she could no longer hold back her tears, letting them flow freely. "You can't go—"<p>

"Yes I can, Dora, and I will. I'm sorry."  
>And he left her there, walking to the front door and Disapparating. After a few seconds of shock, she chased him, but he was gone. Everything seemed to be collapsing—she was alone, left to take care of the unborn child. The day she had thought was going to go perfectly had crashed, and he didn't realize, again, just how much she cared for him, how much she loved him. He was gone.<p>

She spent the next hour packing up her most needed possessions, her tears never ceasing, and Disapparated to her parent's home, leaving their home as empty as she felt inside.

**A/N: HGromanticsap, LadyFateContemplatingDisaster, Lalalupin, NegligibleNaina, BMWWWfreak, and Avs66, thanks for reviewing. Hope everyone enjoyed it, and I'll try to get the next chapter up within a week. **


	23. Number Twelve

**A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't been updating! I've just been busy, or didn't feel like writing when I thought of it, or whatever. BUT, I'm back, and I'll try to put up chapters a lot more often after this. As usual, I'm not JK, and many parts of this chapter directly belong to her. Enjoy!**

He travelled for a few days, wondering what to do about her, about his situation, about his life. The somewhat normal life he finally led had disappeared in the matter of minutes, and he was back to wandering, hoping that he would be able to find a home. It was back to living as he did before he became Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher four years previous. And he hated it.

It seemed to him that the only thing left to do was track down the trio, hope to avoid questions, and ask to join them. What they were doing, he didn't know, but he knew that it was the only way to do more than think over his actions of the past few days. Now, these thoughts plagued him every second of the day, and it was torture. He had no idea if what he had done was right, though he was glad of Tonks' safety at her parent's house. With him, there was a risk every month. In addition, her parents were less hated, less likely to be attacked by Death Eaters. Or so he told himself. But he had to do something. Dwelling on this would drive him mad. So he resolved to visit Grimmauld Place.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Apparating precisely on the font step, he had a brief jolt of déjà vu, reminded of how he had done this exact thing for years, at the home of the one he loved. He shook his head slightly, trying again to force thoughts of her out of his consciousness. Tapping the door, he unlocked the house and stepped inside, bracing himself for the curses put in place for Snape; he knew that the trio wouldn't have disabled them since they arrived. Sure enough, he felt his tongue curl up on itself, ensuring that he wouldn't tell anyone of the place.  
>"Severus Snape?" The ghostly figure of Dumbledore was speeding toward him now, assuming that he was, in fact, his murderer. Remus shook his head slightly, a sad smile on his face. <em>"It was not I who killed you, Albus."<em>

He closed his eyes as the figure exploded, attempting to keep the dust away, and freezing as he heard Harry yell "Don't move!"

He had expected that they would be wary of any stranger coming in, so as Mrs. Black began screaming her motto, he raised his arms, showing surrender and friendship to the worried teenagers. "Hold your fire, it's me, Remus!"

"_Oh, thank goodness," said Hermione weakly, pointing her wand at Mrs. Black instead; with a bang, the curtains swished shut again and silence fell. Ron too lowered his wand, but Harry did not._

"_Show yourself!" he called back._

_Lupin moved forward into the lamplight, hands still held high in a gesture of surrender._

"_I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony, one of the four creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag."_

"_Oh, all right." said Harry, lowering his wand,"but I had to check, didn't I?"_

"_Speaking as your ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree that you had to check. Ron, Hermione, you shouldn't be quite so quick to lower your defenses." _

_They ran down the stairs toward him. Wrapped in a thick black traveling cloak, he looked exhausted, but pleased to see them._

"_No sign of Severus then?" he asked._

"_No," said Harry, "What's going on? Is everyone okay?"_

"_Yes," said Lupin, "but we're all being watched. There are a couple of Death Eaters in the square outside—"_

"_We know—"_

"_I had to Apparate very precisely onto the top step outside the front door to be sure that they would not see me. They can't know you're in here or I'm sure they'd have more people out there; they're staking out everywhere that's got any connection with you, Harry. Let's go downstairs, there's a lot to tell you, and I want to know what's happened after you left the Burrow."_

_They descended into the kitchen, where Hermione pointed her wand at the gate. A fire sprang up instantly. It gave the illusion of coziness to the stark stone walls and glistened off the long wooden table. Lupin pulled a few butterbeers from beneath his traveling cloak and they sat down._

He was pleased that they were safe, readily giving them information and updates on what was going on with the Order and the war in general. About ten minutes passed before he felt as if he could ask them, before he thought they would take him seriously in asking.  
>He had just told them about the changes to Hogwarts, the barbarity of the new regime. Any Muggle-borns now excited about going to Hogwarts would never make it; they would be punished, somehow. Nobody knew how, they just knew that those children were in danger.<p>

"_It's . . . it's . . . " Harry muttered, struggling to find words that did justice to the horror of his thoughts, but Lupin said quietly, _

"_I know."  
><em>He hesitated, deciding that if he was going to propose his idea, he would do it now. He truly felt that they would gladly accept him; he would be a great help in whatever they were planning to do. So he launched the idea that had been forming in his mind since he had Disapparated from their house.

"_I'll understand if you can't confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission."_

"_He did," Harry replied, "and Ron and Hermione are in on it and they're coming with me."_

"_Can you confide in me what the mission is?"_

_Harry looked into the prematurely lined face, framed in thick but graying hair, and wished that he could return a different answer._

"_I can't, Remus, I'm sorry. If Dumbledore didn't tell you I don't think I can."_

"_I thought you'd say that," said Lupin, looking disappointed. "But I ought still be of some use to you. You know what I am and what I can do. I could come with you to provide protection. There would be no need to tell me exactly what you were up to."_

_Harry hesitated. It was a very tempting offer, though how they would be able to keep their mission secret from Lupin if he were with them all the time he could not imagine.  
><em>Remus saw the hesitation in Harry's eyes. He truly believed that if he was accepted, he would come to their aid. He watched Harry carefully, hoping that despite any misgivings Harry might have, he would give Remus this one opportunity.

_Hermione, however, looked puzzled._

"_But what about Tonks?" she asked._

And there was the dreaded question. Internally wincing, he turned to face her, wiping all emotion from his face. He didn't need this, didn't want this. She was safe, and he was going to keep it that way. Whatever they said, he couldn't go back, and he definitely couldn't tell them what had happened or why he was hurt by just her name.

"_What about her?" said Lupin._

"_Well," said Hermione, frowning, "you're married: How does she feel about you going away with us?"_

"_Tonks will be perfectly safe." said Lupin. "She'll be at her parents' house."_

_There was something strange in Lupin's tone; it was almost cold. There was also something odd in the idea of Tonks remaining hidden at her parents house; she was, after all, a member of the Order and, as far as Harry knew, was likely to want to be in the thick of the action._

"_Remus," said Hermione tentatively, "is everything all right . . . you know . . . between you and—"_

"_Everything is fine, thank you," said Lupin pointedly._

Of any question they could have asked him, this was what he wanted to talk about least. First, because he wasn't even sure what he wanted. He did want to return. But it was too hard, too dangerous. He would just be putting them in peril. And then there was the fact that three teenagers were attempting to rule his life, sending him back to her. He couldn't. He couldn't go back and face her, face the fact that their son may just be another mutation because of him. Because of him, their son would be hated from the moment of his birth, and he couldn't face it. He couldn't tell the trio, and the only way to hide it was to tell them that everything was fine.  
>But he knew he couldn't do that. He knew they didn't believe him. He had so many worries and misgivings about his situation that even a genius at Occlumency wouldn't be able to hide it. So he forced the words out of his mouth,<p>

"_Tonks is going to have a baby."_

"_Oh, how wonderful!" squealed Hermione._

"_Excellent!" said Ron enthusiastically._

"_Congratulations," said Harry._

_Lupin gave an artificial smile that was more like a grimace, _trying to look as if he was happy about this predicament. He had failed Dora. He couldn't fail anyone else. But he didn't want to speak another word about his life; it was too painful. So he attempted to bring the conversation back to its original purpose. _"So . . . do you accept my offer? Will three become four? I cannot believe that Dumbledore would have disapproved, he appointed me your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, after all. And I must tell you that I believe that we are facing magic many of us have never encountered or imagined."_

_Ron and Hermione both looked at Harry,_ as did Remus, waiting for an answer.

"_Just—just to be clear," he said. "You want to leave Tonks at her parents' house and come away with us?"_

"_She'll be perfectly safe there, they'll look after her," said Lupin. He spoke with a finality bordering on indifference. "Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted me to stick with you."_

"_Well," said Harry slowly, "I'm not. I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your own kid, actually."_

_Lupin's face drained of color. The temperature in the kitchen might have dropped ten degrees. Ron stared around the room as though he had been bidden to memorize it, while Hermione's eyes swiveled backward and forward from Harry to Lupin.  
><em>The statement shocked him. He had truly believed that James would have agreed with him, but would he have? Did Harry have a better immediate knowledge of James' thoughts? He was James' son after all; he would most likely have better knowledge about his father's habits, even though they had never met. Remus didn't want to admit it, but the seventeen year old had a point. James definitely would have cared that Remus was leaving his wife and unborn child alone in the midst of a war. To James, loyalty to the Marauders, and later to the Order, had always been his highest priority, and Remus was sure that this loyalty would stretch to family. But James—Harry—didn't know his motives. James couldn't tell him to go back if he knew what going back would mean to Dora and their child.

"_You don't understand," said Lupin at last._

"_Explain, then," said Harry._

_Lupin swallowed._

"_I-I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgment and I have regretted it very much ever since."_

"_I see," said Harry, "so you're just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?"_

The emotions he had suppressed during his argument with Dora, as well as the ones he had been hiding during his time here were no longer going to be absent. He couldn't get any of them to understand, and this really, truly, made him angry. Nobody understood that this was for the better, that he would, in truth, be keeping his family safe by leaving and helping the Trio. He just couldn't get this across. Nobody understood. It was those years of being hated before Hogwarts coming back again. Nobody listened. Nobody understood. Nobody got why he couldn't go back to the one he loved. And now they were using their assumptions to insult him and bring him down. He couldn't stand it. They didn't know his life. They didn't know why he chose what he chose. They didn't know that this hurt him as much or more than it hurt her.

The battle he had been waging against his emotions was won, and they launched him to his feet.

_His chair toppled backward, and he glared at them so fiercely that Harry saw, for the first time ever, the shadow of the wolf upon his human face._

"_Don't you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I've made her an outcast!"_

_Lupin kicked aside the chair he had overturned._

"_You have only seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the Wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me! Don't you see what I've done? Even her own family is disgusted by our marriage, when parents want their only daughter to marry a werewolf? And_

_the child—the child—"_

_Lupin actually seized handfuls of his own hair; he looked quite deranged. "My kind don't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it—how can I forgive myself when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be_

_ashamed!"_

"_Remus!" whispered Hermione, tears in her eyes. "Don't say that—how could any child be ashamed of you?"_

"_Oh, I don't know, Hermione," said Harry. "I'd be pretty ashamed of him."_

_Harry did not know where his rage was coming from, but it had propelled him to his feet too. Lupin looked as though Harry had hit him._

And he realized just how much he had wanted them to understand. Harry was the image of his best friend from childhood. Only now did he realize that he had just wanted the approval of James. He wanted to be able to speak to him and ask him if what he was doing was right. It was as if James had done what Remus had always dreaded—tell him he was despicable. And, truthfully, Harry being ashamed of him was almost the same in his mind. He just wanted the approval of his friends, to not be hated for once, and he had lost that the moment he walked out on Tonks. So he stayed silent.

"_If the new regime thinks Muggle-borns are bad," Harry said, "what will they do to a half-werewolf whose father's in the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid to go on an adventure with us?"_

But this was too much. He wasn't trying to be a hero. He wasn't trying to be the "Chosen One." All he wanted to do was keep his family safe, and defeating Voldemort was now the only way to accomplish this. He had never wanted to be a hero. He only wanted to be accepted and loved, and it insulted him, even more than Harry's disapproval, that Harry believed he was trying to discredit this. The anger that had died down seconds before flared up again, though he didn't allow it to take advantage of him this time. Even so, he was fueled enough to give a response, defending himself.

"_How—how dare you?" said Lupin. "This is not about a desire for—for danger of personal glory—how dare you suggest such a—"_

"_I think you're feeling a bit of a daredevil." Harry said, "You fancy stepping into Sirius's shoe-"_

"_Harry, no!" Hermione begged him, but he continued to glare into Lupin's livid face._

"_I'd never have believed this," Harry said. "The man who taught me to fight dementors—a coward."_

The last straw. He had come only to try and help, to offer them aid and protection in whatever Dumbledore had left them. Sure, he wanted to get his mind off his life of the last few days, and he just wanted something to do. But he had also, deep down, known the whole time that he was coming in order to help his wife and unborn child. And now he was being accused of coming for himself. For ignoring all those around him, and running away from life. But wasn't that what he was doing? No. He was trying to help them. All this went through his mind in a flash, and right now he hated himself. For coming. For running away. For being pushed around by Harry. Pushing the small voices of doubt out of his mind that were telling him he was wrong, he refocused on what he was doing. It seemed that in his anger, he had cursed Harry and had begun stalking to the door. At this point, he had no other option. Still raging, he pulled open the door and walked out. He disapparated just before the door slammed shut, as he heard Hermione calling his name.

He couldn't stop thinking about what Harry had said. Those small voices of doubt were regaining ground, surrounding him, drowning him. The question from earlier came back into his mind. Was he running away from his life? The question that had been given a quick no earlier now had some reason behind it. The answer, now that he thought about it, was yes. He ran away from her because of what he had done to their child. And suddenly he realized that Harry was right. As he appeared in Hogsmeade—the first place that had popped into his mind—he realized what he had to do.

And he disapparated once again.

**A/N: BMWWfreak, Lalalupin, TheMaraudersAreTOTALLYAWESOME, HGromanticsap, thesistersblack4998, and Weeping Angel of Fear, thanks for the reviews, and I hope you enjoyed it! : )  
>Next chapter should be up soon…there will be a much smaller break between them now. <strong>


	24. Back

**A/N: Look, I'm finally back! I'm so so sorry for not updating for so long. If you're still reading this, thanks for staying around even though I disappeared. If anyone's a little OOC or it's a rough transition, I'm sorry in advance…it was quite odd to continue this story after so long. But nonetheless, enjoy~ **

He appeared on her parents' front step seconds later, taking a few moments to compose himself. This could turn out horribly. It could be terribly awkward. She could refuse to speak to him. Her parents could see who it was and ignore him, tell him off. And then there was the fact that he had no idea what he was going to say to her. He only knew that he was going to follow Harry's advice—or command, depending on how you viewed it.

For a split second, he thought about going back, coming back another day.  
>But he knew that putting it off wouldn't erase the inevitable meeting, so he forced himself to go on, raising an iron-filled arm to the door and knocking, something he hadn't done in a long time. He used to simply walk into any home of hers, whether her parent's or her own. But he couldn't do that any longer. He might again someday. But for now, it was best to refrain from it.<p>

Her mum opened the door, expecting to see someone different, a look of shock registering as she stared at him. She, and therefore Dora, had not thought he would be coming back anytime soon, especially not today. He stared back at her, the grim expression on his face asking what he dared not—a question he was amazed seemed to be outlawed: "may I come in? may I see her?" Logically, it should not be a problem. She was his wife. But this 'right' to see her had dissipated when he had told her to go.  
>A few seconds passed as Andromeda seemed to think about his proposal. She could see that he was desperate, his eyes saying everything he refused to. He had to get to her today, whether it was going to be as easy as being let in, or as difficult as breaking in. But she gave a tiny nod, opening the door. He nodded his thanks, walking in.<p>

She was sitting in the living room, seemingly waiting for her mother to return. In the split second between the time he saw her and the moment she realized someone else was in the room, he noted how her hair color had not returned to its normal colors, but was a deadened brown. She still looked beautiful.

Sensing someone else in the room, she looked up. Realizing who it was, her eyes widened slightly, a shocked expression making its way onto her face. She simply stared at him for a few moments, unsure what to do. It was extremely obvious how uncomfortable she was, and he felt his heart plummet. But it was to be expected.  
>He felt that he needed to explain himself, pour out all that had happened. But he could only say one thing.<p>

"I'm sorry."  
>That was all it took.<p>

A sad smile crossed her lips, blossoming into a full smile as she stood up and rushed into his arms. He gripped her tightly, slightly surprised by her reaction, though he felt vaguely uncomfortable; he didn't think it would be easy to convince her that he was truly sorry. He supposed she thought he was never coming back, adding to her joy; he had done what she thought he wouldn't. This realization crushed him.

Pulling away from their hug, he kissed her forehead lightly, leading her to the couch, and sitting down. Tears were beginning to leak out the sides of her ears, from happiness or sadness, he didn't know, but he did know that he wanted to help her. The only way to do so was to admit he was wrong, explain everything that had happened. But all he really wanted to do was hug her and tell her everything would be okay.  
>However, something that simple could not be done.<p>

He heard her mother in the other room, making dinner. But she soon went upstairs, leaving Remus and Dora alone to talk without being heard.  
>He looked at her eyes, now blinking, attempting to wipe the sadness from her face. No words came to him. He wanted to just take everything that had happened, his explanations, and allow her to sift through them. In a way, he wished he had a Pensieve. It would be a lot easier to let her watch his explanations rather than having to explain himself—he wasn't always the best with words. Instead, he looked straight into her eyes, knowing she deserved the full story from him.<p>

"Dora."

She looked back at him, expecting him to go on.

"I'm so, so sorry. I shouldn't have left." He gave a small sigh, not knowing how to say everything.

She frowned. "Why did you, then?"

He thought about it for a moment, knowing she remembered his previous excuses for leaving them. "I thought he would be better without me. You too. I thought I would make you an outcast." He frowned, knowing that he still wanted to prevent this, though it was impossible. Even if he wasn't associated with them, they would be scorned for being his wife and child. Maybe after the war was over, there would be more promise for them all.  
>She showed no emotion, though her eyebrows drew slightly closer together, most likely understanding exactly what was going through his mind. "Why are you here?" She frowned, knowing that sounded harsh. "I mean…what…" She trailed off, not exactly knowing how to phrase her question.<p>

He knew what she was trying to say; he had known she was going to ask, and he wasn't completely sure he wanted to tell her. She searched his face silently, trying to read the expression that had made its way onto his features, but he masked himself.

Their argument was still a wall between them—an invisible wall, but a wall nonetheless. Neither of them were completely ready to show the other exactly how they felt at the moment. They were both trying to reinstate the carelessness about emotions that they used to have around each other. But neither, it seemed, could get over their last meeting. The joy Tonks had shown when he first appeared had disappeared, morphing into confusion.

"I went to speak to Harry."

She raised an eyebrow.

The corner of his mouth twitched, remembering the day he and Dora had gone to King's Cross just to see the son of their old friends, and he realized just how proud he was of Harry's achievements, his understanding of family despite the fact that he hadn't truly had one until he met the Weasleys. "Allow me to just say that he is much wiser than I."  
>She allowed a smile to make its way onto her face. "Sometimes I wonder how he can be so mature…So you'll stay?"<br>He nodded. "I promise. I can't leave you two again. I love you, and you have to remember that. No matter what I did, what I said, I just want everything to be okay for you. I want your life to be everything it should be. I want you to have a fantastic family, be loved by everyone you meet. And…" Words left him, and he trailed off as he searched for a way to phrase his thoughts.  
>She moved a bit closer to him, leaning into him.<p>

"If you want me to have such a good life, you should never have left. I can't have all that without you."

Though his expression didn't change, she could see the gratefulness, love, and the smile in his eyes.

She almost couldn't believe he was back. "I missed you."  
>A sad smile crossed his face, showing his gratefulness at being loved. Once again, she felt a small stab of pity for him. He still had a hard time believing anyone could stay with him, knowing what he was. That disbelief had been there ever since they were children, and she just wanted his surprise to disappear. It was horrible to still see the fact that he was shocked by being loved. Though he often hid his thoughts, she thought, he really was fragile, like a piece of glass.<p>

Kissing her forehead, he replied, "I missed you too."  
>They sat there for a few minutes, just glad to be back together, before Tonks jumped up, grinning. "I think we should either go get a butterbeer or retry your reaction."<br>He gave a small laugh, standing up and taking her hand, Apparating to Hogsmeade, just grateful that he had her back.

**A/N: HGromanticsap, TheMaraudersAreTOTALLYAWESOME, BMWWfreak, and Thesistersblack4998, thanks for reviewing the last chapter! Once again, I'm so sorry I haven't been updating, and I'll try to get everything up by Christmas. Two more chapters! Hope you liked it!**


	25. Teddy Remus Lupin

**A/N: Second to last chapter and I'm just going to keep writing after posting this, so it shall be up within a week. This is going to be a bit shorter than usual, or maybe the same length but mostly from the book rather than my own writing. So I'm not JK, and yeah. Enjoy! **

He looked down at the little bundle of blue in his arms, smiling at the baby that had his eyes and his mother's ever-changing hair. Smiling at his wife, he mentally kicked himself for leaving them earlier in the year, wishing he had a time machine so that he could warn himself to stay. But that was all gone, and all that mattered was that he was here for his son now. Teddy Remus Lupin.  
>He handed the child back to his mother. "I'm going to go tell the others."<p>

She nodded, and gave him a quick kiss before he Disapparated.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was dark, rainy, and windy at Shell Cottage, but the weather could not wipe the smile off Remus' face as he knocked at the door. He heard the small rumblings of speech die out as they heard the noise.  
><em>Who is it?" Bill called.<em>

His smile disappeared, remembering for a moment that they were in the middle of the war and that he might have just frightened them all.  
><em>"It s I, Remus John Lupin! I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you, the Secret-Keeper of Shell Cottege, told me the address and bade me come in an emergency!"<em>

He pulled his cloak closer to him. Hearing the lock click and seeing the door unlock, he hurried into the house, nearly stumbling. Standing up, he looked around before speaking; he didn't want any unwelcome visitors to hear his news, but he also wanted everyone _to_ hear his news.  
><em>"It's a boy! We've named him Ted, after Dora's father!"<em>

A shriek greeted his words. _"Wha-? Tonks—Tonks has had the baby?" _asked Hermione?

"_Yes, yes, she's had the baby!" shouted Lupin. All around the table came cries of delight, sighs of relief: Hermione and Fleur both squealed "Congratulations!" and Ron said, "Blimey, a baby!" as if he had never heard of such a thing before._

"_Yes—yes—a boy," _Remus repeated, feeling again as if he could produce a thousand Patronuses in that moment. He noticed Harry, and, remembering what he and Dora had decided, walked over to him, giving him a quick hug, their last meeting unimportant.

"_You'll be the godfather?" he said as he released Harry._

"_M-me?" stammered Harry.  
>"You, yes, of course—Dora quite agrees, no one better—"<br>"I—yeah—blimey—"_

Fleur spoke up, trying to get him to stay for some wine.

"_I can't stay long, I must get back,"_ replied Remus. But he stayed anyway.  
>Soon enough their goblets were filled, and they toasted to the new wizard before drinking.<p>

"'_Oo does 'e look like?" Fleur inquired._

His smile widened at this question. Dora and he had already discussed this, and they were unable to come to a conclusion.  
><em>"I think he looks like Dora, but she thinks he is like me. Not much hair. It looked black when he was born, but I swear it's turned ginger in the hour since. Probably be blond by the time I get back. Andromeda says Tonks's hair started changing color the day that she was born."<em>

Afterwards, the time passed quickly, marking the best time he had had since his wedding day.  
>But all too soon, he had to return to Tonks. Not that that was bad. He simply wished he could have brought her here. She would have loved seeing everyone. There wouldn't be any other cause for visits for a while, and who knew when they would see Harry, Ron, and Hermione again?<br>But for now, they only knew joy for their son and each other, and when he reappeared in the hospital again, he gave her another kiss before he went home for the night.

**A/N: I know it's short and kind of crappy and I'm sorry. However, the next chapter is the last one. And I think it's going to be fantastic. Thesistersblack4998, PeaceLovePotter731, HGromanticsap, duchesslynn4, and BMWWfreak, thanks for reviewing the last chapter! And thanks for catching that typo…even when I reread these some things get past me, haha. But once you pointed it out, I left it because it amused me. Anyway, thanks! I hope you all enjoyed this one! Merry late Christmas and Happy late New Year and I hope your days were fantastic. **


	26. The End

**A/N: Last chapter! This is Jo's, not mine, as usual. Enjoy!**

It was May.  
>They were at home, playing with Teddy. Remus was shooting sparks out of his wand to entertain the child—only a few weeks old—when the Patronus came with its warning.<br>The battle was here. They needed the Order.

"No, Dora," he protested, as she got ready to come with him. "You need to stay with Teddy. Please. Take him to your mother's. You'll both be safer there."  
>She argued for a few minutes, but eventually realized what he was trying to do. He had to keep them safe. She nodded, and returned to Teddy after swinging her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss that said so many things. He didn't want to dwell on the fact that it felt like a goodbye.<p>

They both knew that the battle would be dangerous. There would be casualties. But he had to go. He had to help the Order and Harry, and in order to do so without regret, he had to keep Dora and Teddy safe. No matter what would happen tonight, it would become a million times worse if either of them were in danger. They had to stay home. _She_ had to stay home. He didn't know what he would do if she came. Glancing one last time through the door at her, he stepped out of their home and disapparated.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He made his way into the Room of Requirement, feeling somewhat crowded by the members of the Order and Dumbledore's Army that had arrived to fight.  
>He saw Harry entering the room, and he made his way forward to get his attention.<p>

"_Harry, what's happening?"_ he asked.

"_Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading the school—Snape's run for it—What are you doing here? How did you know?"_

"_We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army," Fred explained. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the D.A. let the Order of the Phoenix know, and it all kind of snowballed."  
><em>Harry explained that they were evacuating the younger children, and that those staying to fight were to meet in the Great Hall. Hearing this, the majority of the group, not including Remus or the Weasleys, swarmed up the stairs and into the hallway, wands drawn. They had all graduated from this building, and they had to keep it safe. The building that had taught them so much about life, love, friendship, magic. It had to be preserved. Without it, where would later generations learn?

Still in the Room of Requirement, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were fighting about Ginny's ability to stay and fight. Feeling as though it wasn't his argument, Remus stood off to the side, listening and watching their conversation. He did have an opinion, a potentially different one from the one he may have held before Teddy was born, but he did nothing to indicate his belief, standing silently.

Mrs. Weasley finally seemed to win, before Percy shocked them by entering through the tunnel from the Hog's Head. Remus' eyebrows raised—he definitely hadn't expected this to happen anytime soon. Yet, the Weasley was before them, and nobody seemed to know what to say.

Feeling awkward, Fleur turned to him. _"So—'ow eez leetle Teddy?" _she asked.

Remus stared at her for a moment, caught off guard. But he had to admit that the question made him happy despite the circumstances outside the Room. It gave him a reason to think about his wife and son, though it also worried him. But he pushed this worry out of his mind—they were safe at home.

"_I—oh yes—he's fine!" Lupin said loudly. "Yes, Tonks is with him—at her mother's—Here, I've got a picture!" _he said, still speaking irregularly loud and showing the picture to Harry and Fleur.

But Percy suddenly interrupted the silence, making him almost drop the picture. Once again falling silent, he watched with a sad smile as the Weasleys made up, bringing back memories of his past fight with Dora and their reunion. It was horrible living without the one you loved, whether it be child, sibling, or spouse. And he felt as if every broken family deserved a moment of reconciliation like this.

Finally, after settling the fact that Ginny could stay as long as she remained in the Room of Requirement, her parents, along with Remus, made their way to the Great Hall.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The Great Hall was still crowded as they walked up to the teacher's platform at the front of the room, and Professor McGonagall was telling the students what was going to happen in the next few hours—most of them would be evacuated, though the overage students who wished to stay would be able to. But as she was explaining that the protection already on the castle could fade away if not reinforced, a different voice echoed through the hall. It was somewhat ironic, that this voice, filled with evil, was filling the same hall that Dumbledore had often filled with his own voice.

"_I know that you are preparing to fight." _Screams rent the air as the snakelike voice faded out of hearing range. "_Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood." _This time, as the cold voice disappeared, the students and Order members could hear each individual breath that all the others in the Hall took. Not a single word was spoken. _"Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."_

Remus could not believe what the voice was asking. A million moments flashed through his mind. The night he learned of James and Lily's deaths, and the grief that had ensued, traveling to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters to see Harry for the first time, as he learned of Hogwarts. He had been so innocent. Becoming a teacher at the school. Teaching Harry a Patronus, and his pride when Harry had finally succeeded. And Voldemort was trying to take all of that away. He had destroyed Harry's family—Remus' best friends—and now he wanted to destroy the last of the Potter line.

And Remus knew that he would fight to the death to prevent it.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was paired with a group of students and a few other adults, and they hurried to the perimeter of the grounds.  
>They had only a few minutes to strengthen the boundaries near this entrance to the grounds.<p>

And to get ready to fight as the Death Eaters began arriving outside the boundaries.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Dora couldn't stand it anymore.

She had tried her hardest to remain at her mother's home, but she couldn't stand not knowing what was happening to Remus. Every moment, she thought, he could be falling. He could be fighting. He could be losing his life.  
>Every moment.<p>

And she couldn't stand not knowing.  
>She knew he was trying to protect her, trying to make sure she would be safe. She knew he wanted her and Teddy out of harm's way. But there was no way he could put himself in danger with her knowledge and expect her to be able to sit quietly at home.<p>

She had been fine for the first few minutes, drinking a cup of tea and caring for Teddy. But soon after, he fell asleep, and she fell to pacing.  
>At this very moment, Voldemort could be invading. Remus could be shedding his own blood for her safety and the safety of his son.<br>But she wasn't about to let him fight without her. She had to help.

If she didn't she would go crazy.

So she made sure her mother could watch Teddy, and disapparated to the Hog's Head.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

She had only been in the Room with Ginny and Neville's grandmother for a minute or so when Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered.

"_Ah, Potter," _Mrs. Longbottom said. _"You can tell us what's going on."_

"_Is everyone okay?" said Ginny and Tonks together._

"'_S far as we know," said Harry. "Are there still people in the passage to the Hog's Head?"_

Mrs. Longbottom denied this, stating that she had been the last, before going off to find her grandson.

Harry turned his attention back to Dora.

"_I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy at your mother's?"_

"_I couldn't stand not knowing—" Tonks looked anguished. "She'll look after him—have you seen Remus?"_

"_He was planning to lead a group of fighters into the grounds—"  
>Without another word, Tonks sped off.<em>

Of course he would have immediately put himself into the most dangerous situation possible. She knew it was most likely not his fault—they had probably been assigned jobs. But she still worried. If he was fighting on the grounds, his group would be one of the first to be attacked. He would be dueling the first Death Eaters that made it onto the grounds, and somehow, she didn't believe that those would be the weakest.

She had only been in the hallway with Ginny, shooting spells into the fighters on the grounds for about a minute when the Golden Trio made their way out of the door, and Aberforth came running with a few students.

But she could not be distracted from her original purpose in order to fight. She had to find Remus, and she had to find him before anything happened to him. She had to find him immediately. Nothing else was as important.  
>A memory hit her from years before, walking through the hallways with the Marauders. She hadn't known how much would be taken from her. She hadn't known that in less than twenty years she would be back, fighting for her life, fighting for Remus' life, fighting for everything that had made her time here worthwhile. And she couldn't stand the fact that she had no idea where he was.<p>

"_Have you seen Remus?" _she called after Aberforth—someone would know. Someone would have seen him. She tried to control her growing sense of panic. What if he was already gone? But she wouldn't allow herself to even consider it, and she brought herself back to the present.

"_He was dueling Dolohov," shouted Aberforth, "haven't seen him since!"_

"_Tonks," said Ginny, "Tonks, I'm sure he's okay—"_

But Dora didn't even hear her. She was already running to find her husband.

He had to be alive.

She couldn't live with the alternative.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was dueling as well as he possibly could, but there were too many of them.

So many of the students he had brought with him were dead or injured.  
>And there were so many Death Eaters still pouring into the grounds.<p>

Spells lit up his face in the dark as he dueled Antonin Dolohov, and images of Dora and his son flashed through his mind, spurring him to fight back as hard as he could.

His ears were filled with the sound of screams, battles, and parts of the castle falling to the ground. He could hardly see in front of him; the only way he knew where his opponent stood was the light from the spells being flung at him—all Unforgivables. His own spells, at first, had been only aimed to injure, but as the night went on, he began throwing any spell that came to his mind. He had yet to use an Unforgivable, but if he had to, if it would save someone, he might.  
>He was simply glad that Dora was safe at home, away from all this.<br>He had worried that she would come. But he had convinced himself she wouldn't, that she would understand he had to protect them.  
>A green spell came flashing past him, narrowly missing his head.<p>

He flung a spell back at Dolohov, once again grateful that Dora and Teddy were out of this mess. He knew she would kill him later for leaving them. But he hadn't left them for unintelligent reasons as he had many months earlier.  
>This time, his attempt to save them was founded upon reason.<p>

Yet another spell nearly hit him as he was distracted by thoughts of Dora, and he redoubled his efforts against the Death Eater; focusing only on their ongoing battle.

But suddenly, the attacks stopped. Though the grounds were still being lit up by the other duels, Dolohov had vanished into the shadows between Remus' spells. Forcing his eyes to see into the night, Remus' eyes raked the area around him, searching.

If only his eyesight was permanently improved by his "furry little problem."

A few seconds passed, but he refused to let his guard down. He figured that if he moved, he would be subject to a rain of spells, and who knew if he could escape that. So he waited several tense moments, still waiting. He wished he could aid those in battle around him, but he didn't know if he would end up hitting a student or Order member, so he refrained.

And as he had expected, one spell after another abruptly broke through the shadows, almost catching him off guard, even as he expected it.  
>He attempted to fight the group of three off. He had dueled groups like this before, and come out alive, though slightly battered. Spells flew around him, but he blocked and fought back just as viciously.<br>And he had to block out the thoughts of Dora threatening to swarm over him: worry, love, and the realization of how much he missed her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

As she ran through the halls, her worry mounted, threatening to spill over in tears. Her hair had turned black; her normally bright hair affected by the thoughts running through her mind.

_What had happened?_ she wished to ask every witch and wizard she passed, locked in battle. But she had to make it to him.

Each chance she had to aid in a battle—every moment she was sure she wouldn't hurt a student or Order member, she flung a spell into a dueling pair as she ran past, unable to stop.

Realizing as she began running down the first flight of stairs that she would never get there as quickly as she wanted, she did something that she hadn't done since she had graduated, something that brought back so many memories of her first entrance to the Shack, her first true meeting with Remus.

She shook out of her own skin, taking her wand carefully in her mouth, and the wolf sprinted through the castle, heading towards the entrance of the school.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He was still locked in battle.

But he was starting to lose his hold.

He would send a spell back at one of the three, before having hardly enough time to block the next one coming his way. He was forced to back up every few seconds. There was no way he could get out of this unless someone else came.  
>But they were all fighting.<p>

He stepped back once more, and nearly stumbled over a body.  
>And in that split second they had their chance.<p>

One spell.

One emerald green spell made its way towards him, and his world seemed to slow down.

He tried to block it.

The last picture he had of Dora and Teddy he had swam before his eyes, her playing with their child in their living room earlier that night.

And then green filled his vision, and everything was gone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

She had just made her way onto the grounds, weaving through the different duels occurring around her. Regaining her human form, she continued sprinting, beginning to pant from the journey through the castle and through the grounds, still trying to aid in every battle she could.  
>Soon, she saw him. She didn't know how, but she was sure it was Remus.<br>And then he nearly stumbled.

A green jet of light made its way through the air towards him, and he collapsed as it made contact with his body.

"NO!" she screamed, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't him, though she knew there was no chance.  
>Tears began pouring onto her cheeks within seconds, making her vision blurry as she pushed herself to get to him.<p>

"REMUS!" she yelled, in a voice unlike her own, one that cracked with grief and worry.

She finally drew close to where the Death Eaters had disbanded, moving to other battles.

He was lying in the shadows, seemingly the only place where light refused to penetrate.  
>As the battle seemed to cease around them, she fell to the ground on her knees next to him, refusing to believe what was in front of her.<p>

"You can't be gone. Please, just come back. Please," she whispered, her voice interrupted by fresh sobs. He couldn't be gone. He was alive. He was going to sit up and grin at her in a few moments.  
>But she wept, knowing that he wouldn't.<p>

She was alone.

The sound around her seemed to drain out, leaving her utterly and completely without aid. She stared at his face, at the man she had grown to love. She just couldn't believe it.  
>Teddy was only a few weeks old. He would never know his father. He would never know what it was like to have a complete family. He would never realize how wonderful his father was, how brave, how loving. He would never learn how brilliant of a man his father had been, except through stories. And all he would be then was a story. He couldn't be gone. He just couldn't.<p>

But he was.

She didn't know why she was yet unseen by Voldemort's allies, but suspected that the shadows had something to do with it. Which suited her. The world had collapsed with the man in front of her. All that was left was this little part of the grass, with him and her on top. Everything else was another world, another universe.

She was empty; she couldn't leave him, and she didn't even think to hide herself. Let them see her grief. Maybe it would change them. Maybe not.  
>But she had to let herself stay for a few more minutes. She just couldn't muster the ability to walk away. She couldn't let him leave them again.<br>Though he already had.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was only a minute or two before she was forced to rise, but it seemed all too soon. All she wanted to do was lay down next to him. She wished he could tell her everything would be alright. He always had, even if it wasn't.

"_You have fought," said the high, cold voice, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."  
><em>Slowly, she stood up and wiped her tears away, though they were still coming without a pause. She had to help. She couldn't sit here when others had been injured or killed, and the Order needed her. He wanted to kill Harry. And she wouldn't let him take anything else away from her. This time, she would fight as three people. She would get revenge for what Voldemort had done to her.

She took a huge breath as she bent down again, one knee nearly touching the ground, and closed his eyes, kissing his still warm forehead.

But that was to be her last.

A few stray battles raged around her, the Death Eaters that refused to give up, and the students and Order that refused to back down because the other side was being asked to retreat.

And as she once again straightened up, she didn't see the insane woman approaching behind her, on her way to find her master.

Dora saw a flash of light behind her. Turning around, her eyes widened as she tried to block the emerald green spell.  
>But it was too late.<p>

And she collapsed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Less than ten minutes later, when some of the Order found them, they saw the two laying next to each other, Remus on his back, Dora on her side right next to him.  
>It looked as if they could have been asleep.<p>

**A/N: Ugh, I refuse to write another war chapter ever. I'm not even sure how I wrote that. I stalled the beginning so much; I just didn't want to get on with it. But I had to…**

**Thank you all so much for all of your reviews, all the story favorites and alerts that I've gotten! Blue Wrackspurts, Miss R.E. Mulvey, Snitchstar, HGromanticsap, and ecb327, thanks for reviewing the last chapter. **

**I half can't believe this is finally done. But thanks so much for reading! I think I may revise some of the earlier chapters, but there aren't going to be any more surprise chapters (even though I considered it)…  
>Again, thanks for all the reviews, adding this to your story alerts, and adding it to your favorites. I love you all! : )<strong>


End file.
